


Four Jedi, Two Rooms

by verhalen



Series: Multitudes [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Ass Play, Blow Jobs, Childhood Trauma, Come Eating, Coming of Age, Consensual Sex, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dorks in Love, Families of Choice, First Time, Flashbacks, Found Family, Frottage, Gay Sex, Hand Jobs, Hopeful Ending, Jedi Master Dooku, Light Bondage, M/M, Magical Healing Cock, Masturbation, Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pseudo-Incest, Psychological Trauma, Qui-Gon Loves Trees, Rape Recovery, Recovery, Rimming, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship, Shower Sex, Teasing, Tree Sex, repost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 21:08:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 63,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20279839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verhalen/pseuds/verhalen
Summary: (An AU where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are the same age.)Qui-Gon and his best friend Obi-Wan have feelings for each other, and as their eighteenth birthday approaches, they decide to celebrate by consummating their budding relationship.Such relationships are forbidden by the Jedi Code, but Qui-Gon's Master Dooku understands and encourages it, as he himself resolves to finally give his bondmate, Jedi Master Severin Yusanis, what he's been holding back due to unresolved trauma issues.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tornado_fox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tornado_fox/gifts).

> This is a repost of what I did for NaNoWriMo 2018. I removed the story from A03 in July 2019 when I was having a bad day but tornado_fox asked me to re-upload, so I have done that and am gifting it to them in appreciation for their appreciation.
> 
> Sev is an alternate universe counterpart of my OMC [Sören](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/S%C3%B6ren%20Sigurdsson%20\(OMC\)/works). In this universe, Sev is a near-human (human-looking alien with pointy ears).
> 
> Timey-wimey shenanigans with age across the multiverse have happened in other stories I've written, so the explanation for Qui and Obi being the same age here can be handwaved as that.
> 
> Enjoy. :)

Qui-Gon Jinn landed on his ass on a mat on the training room floor with a hard "oof". He watched helplessly as his lightsaber was ripped out of his hands with the Force, and flew into the hands of his Master.  
  
"Are you going to just sit there, or are you going to come get this?" Dooku asked in a bored tone of voice.  
  
The seventeen-year-old scowled. "I need a minute," he said, trying to ground and center from the shock and pain of the fall.  
  
"You don't have a minute," Dooku replied. "Pretend this is a real battle and your life is actually at stake here."  
  
With that, Qui-Gon's lightsaber flew towards him, and Dooku also charged in his direction. Qui tried to focus and grab his lightsaber, but Dooku's hold in the Force was too strong, and as soon as he touched the saber with his mind, Dooku's mind yanked it out of reach. Then it came towards him even faster, ready to slice. Qui rolled out of the way just in time, and then he tried a different tactic, this one being to push Dooku with the Force. As Dooku adjusted to not be knocked over, Qui used the opportunity to take his lightsaber back, and once he did he sprang up from the floor and ran towards his Master, swinging.  
  
"Good," Dooku said, approvingly, giving a small smile as his cyan blade clashed with Qui's green blade, hissing. "You're learning."  
  
"No thanks to you," Qui snapped. Though many times he felt close to his Master and valued their friendship, times like this infuriated him, and even moreso for that surge of anger unbecoming of a Jedi.  
  
"No, indeed," Dooku said, taking another swing. "If you'd taken Makashi like I'd asked you to instead of these Ataru antics..."  
  
"They are not _antics_." Qui spun his lightsaber before taking a swing at Dooku, who dodged.  
  
Dooku moved his lightsaber up and just as Qui worked to counter, Dooku moved the saber out of position and sliced off a pocket of Qui's padawan robe.  
  
"If it's good enough for Master Yoda," Qui said, moving to strike again.  
  
Dooku blocked the blade and pushed it away, and scored another feint, making Qui move to counter him and moving the blade in another direction, where he would have sliced off a pocket on the other side if Qui didn't step out of the way.  
  
"Master Yoda is built differently from you," Dooku said, "and not even he can defeat me in lightsaber combat. But you had to be stubborn. And defiant."  
  
"I needed a break from you," Qui said. His eyes met his Master's. "I could use one now, to be honest."  
  
Dooku's nostrils flared, and Qui watched as Dooku de-activated his lightsaber and clipped it back into his belt. "Cadences," he said. "Now."  
  
Qui stormed off to the section of the training room designated for cadence work. He hated cadences even more than he hated sparring against Dooku.  
  
"At least an hour," Dooku said, and sat down on a nearby bench, pulling out an infopadd and reading, though keeping an eye on Qui-Gon.  
  
There was a clock, though Qui's full attention had to go towards the cadences. He was expected to use his lightsaber without his hands, just the Force, and knock over selected targets that would keep changing with each completed round. _At least I'm not blindfolded for this,_ Qui thought to himself bitterly.  
  
After he'd been at it close to an hour, and was moving through the sequences faster, he made a mistake and hit the wrong target, which knocked several of the pieces over. Dooku looked up from his infopadd.  
  
"That earned you another half-hour," Dooku said.  
  
Qui glared at him; Dooku glared back. Qui felt like storming out or yelling, but he knew that would just add fuel to the fire and probably even more time with cadences. He took a few deep breaths. _Emotion, yet peace._But it wasn't helping; the blocks continued to bounce on the floor, as if they were mocking him.  
  
Before Qui could react, the doors to the training room opened, and he felt two familiar presences in the Force.  
  
"Hey, Yan," came the voice of Jedi Master Severin Yusanis. "You guys gonna be done soon? Because I've had dinner going in the slow cooker and it's just about done."  
  
Dooku turned off his infopadd. His face did not betray his emotion, but Qui could see his eyes light up as he looked at Sev, the same way Qui could feel his own face lighting up at the sight of Sev's padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi.  
  
"I suppose we should eat," Dooku said. He gave Qui a look. "We'll talk later."  
  
Dooku, Qui, Obi, and Sev headed to the quarters Sev and Obi-Wan shared on the far end of the Temple. Dooku and Qui had the next quarters over. Sev and Obi otherwise only had the flora and fauna of the Temple Gardens as neighbors, with the back entrance to the Temple, leading out to the Gardens, a short distance away from their quarters.  
  
One of the most positive things Qui could say about his Jedi Master was that Dooku was good at cooking, and enjoyed it; most nights he made a meal for the four of them to share. Occasionally Sev cooked, and was also a decent cook, though his meals were typically less elaborate. Tonight, for instance, he had a nerf roast in the slow cooker, with onions, daro root, charbote root, and potato - simple but hearty. Qui and Obi sat at the table. Dooku approached Sev working at the kitchenette.  
  
"Can I help serve?" Dooku asked.  
  
Sev gave him a playful swat. "Nah, go sit down."  
  
Dooku's lips quirked. "If you insist."  
  
"Yeah, I insist. You may practically live here but you're still a guest, dammit."  
  
Dooku opened his mouth to say something, then looked at Qui and Obi and thought better of it; Sev looked down, his face flushed, the points of his ears twitching. Dooku cleared his throat and sat down at the table, and Sev served each of them, though they waited for Sev to sit down with his own plate before they ate.  
  
Sev took Dooku's hand on one side and Obi's on the other; Qui took Obi's hand, and shivered at the little spark that always leapt between them.  
  
"To the Force for providing us with what we need," Sev said, "and a moment to remember those who are in need. May this food strengthen us to serve them."  
  
It was not a common Jedi custom - indeed, Severin Yusanis was the only Jedi that Qui-Gon knew of who said "grace", as Sev called it. Dooku had explained once that Sev's early life before the Jedi had been difficult, and left it at that.  
  
Dooku and Sev were the same age, as Qui and Obi were; like Qui and Obi, they had been crechemates. Dooku was from the Outer Rim planet of Serenno, and would be a Count if he was not with the Jedi. Qui had heard Severin was the son of an Echani Senator and a woman from the remote Outer Rim world of Yllen, and both were assassinated; Sev had then been left with the Senator's sister on Corellia. Dooku's aristocratic background still manifested itself in his manners and formality; Sev was far more laid-back. Qui and Obi had once asked why Qui was apprenticed to Dooku, and not to Sev, and why Obi was apprenticed to Sev, and not to Dooku, when it was obvious the other Master was closer in personality and temperament, and Dooku and Sev had responded that they'd talked about it amongst themselves and decided it would be too easy and stifle their growth if they had taken the easier path.  
  
Even with Sev and Obi being rather different from each other, they still appeared to have far less conflict than Qui and Dooku. Qui knew some of it was their age - Dooku was twenty-seven, only ten years Qui's senior, and sometimes Dooku acted like an old man, like he was Qui's father, and Qui was at that age where he didn't quite want a parental figure treating him like a child. Sev was much more like an older brother to both boys.  
  
And though Qui and Obi were practically brothers, having known each other as long as they could remember, Qui nonetheless felt something more for Obi, and he knew Obi felt it too. Relationships were forbidden by the Jedi Order, but Qui and Obi had figured out as of a couple years ago that their Masters were intimate. Dooku and Sev were also good friends with Jedi Masters Jocasta Nu and Sifo-Dyas, who were themselves in a relationship that most in the Order didn't know about. Jocasta and Sifo were apprenticing their friends Mace Windu and Tahl. Qui had a crush on Tahl as well as Obi, though he had not as yet let Tahl know about his interest, fearing her rejection, or worse, being reported to the Order, though he knew Tahl knew about Jocasta and Sifo and had not said anything about them so maybe there was hope. _Maybe._  
  
But Obi had to be okay with it, and Qui hadn't even taken the steps he wanted with Obi. Not yet. Their studies came first, and beyond that, Qui had been afraid of ruining their friendship if he made it into something more.  
  
He was at least at the point where he knew he couldn't keep ignoring it. He watched Obi eat, and smiled at him. Obi-Wan gave a shy smile back, with dimples that made Qui's stomach flutter. As he felt that little jolt, his knee inadvertently brushed Obi's under the table, and his heart could have stopped, not wanting to offend Obi with unwanted touch. But to his surprise and delight, Obi's knee rubbed back. Feeling emboldened, Qui reached under the table and squeezed Obi's knee; Obi took his hand under the table and squeezed. Their eyes met, and held.  
  
Dooku and Sev's eyes were on them both, and Dooku cleared his throat. Qui and Obi looked down and began to eat more intently, making exaggerated "mmmmm" and "yum" noises as they shoveled food into their mouths, but they were exchanging guilty grins as well. Out of the corner of his eye, Qui saw Sev smirk with amusement.  
  
When the meal was over, Sev cleared the table. Obi offered to do dishes, and Sev nodded. Qui lingered as Obi did the dishes; Obi kept glancing over his shoulder, giving Qui little smiles, blushing and getting more and more flustered.  
  
Just before Qui could give in to his urge to walk over to the sink and steal a kiss, Dooku loomed in the doorway between the kitchen and the living area. Qui immediately looked up and straightened his shoulders, clearing his throat and trying to muster all of his seriousness.  
  
"That talk, padawan," Dooku said, gesturing for Qui to follow him.  
  
They went for a walk in the Temple Gardens. Though Coruscant had a lot of light pollution that made the sunsets and sunrises far less dramatic than the handful of times Qui had seen them off-world, there was nonetheless a golden glow in the air that Qui liked, especially the way it tinged the flowers and shrubs and the sparkling water of the fountains.  
  
"I don't like what happened today," Dooku said.  
  
"I don't either," Qui said.  
  
They paused and just looked at each other for a moment, and then Dooku gestured for them to sit down. He pulled out some birdseed from the pocket of his Jedi robe and fed curious geese. He gave some to Qui-Gon to throw at them.  
  
"You may speak freely," Dooku said.  
  
"...Did Master Yusanis put you up to this?" In private, he was always Sev, but since the Gardens were public, Qui-Gon watched himself.  
  
"He might have." Dooku gave a small nod.  
  
"You were way too hard on me today," Qui said.  
  
"Do you understand why? I told you that in a real battle, you would not get the chance to sit there and recover. You would have to respond much more quickly." Dooku frowned. "You are not a child anymore. As you know, you will be eighteen soon, the age of legal majority on Coruscant."  
  
_Here we go with the "as you know"s_, Qui thought to himself, trying to not roll his eyes.  
  
Dooku went on, "And as you know, though you will still be my padawan until you are twenty-one, you nonetheless will no longer have the protection of being a child, that would have made our enemies hesitant to attack you before. I know that you are not a natural fighter - you are a peacemaker, a counselor, a healer. I respect that. But as you know, fighting when necessary is still part of our job. And I know you can do better."  
  
Qui sighed. "I feel like you expect too much of me."  
  
"I do not. I expect what I think you are capable of. What I _know_ you are capable of. What I have _seen._ And I am not the best with my words sometimes, when emotions are running high - it is something that Master Yusanis has been trying to help me with. I should encourage you more often than I criticize. There should be no doubt that I expect what I expect because I know how strong you are in the Force, how capable you are. For that, I apologize."  
  
Qui nodded. He gave a little sigh, feeling some relief at those words, and a lessening of the ache in his heart. He didn't like conflict, especially not with his Master who he respected and admired a great deal. And knowing he wasn't a complete disappointment, but Dooku did in fact acknowledge good things about him, meant a lot. Qui mustered a smile, and Dooku gave a small smile back.  
  
Then Dooku went on, "You were also a bit harsh with me."  
  
Qui nodded again. "I hate doing cadences and I thought you were being unreasonable."  
  
"I don't think I was," Dooku said. "You needed the discipline."  
  
"I would have needed it less if you hadn't been so harsh with me."  
  
"Perhaps." Dooku frowned. "But nonetheless, I deemed correction was needed, and part of the learning process here is being willing to accept correction. As you know, when you are a full-fledged Jedi Knight, you will often be asked to do things you don't want to do, and you will have to do them anyway - people's lives may depend on whether or not you do the things you don't want to do. It is better you accept that as a part of your life now. I could have been far more severe with you. Master Yoda frequently was with me."  
  
"Yoda? Severe?" Qui snorted.  
  
"Yes." Dooku nodded gravely. "You see but one side of him, because he is your Grandmaster, and like a grandparent tends to indulge their grandchildren more than their own children, that is how Yoda is with you. I don't fault my former Master for doing what he felt was necessary - indeed, I thank him for it, and as you know, we continue a closeness that I hope you and I will continue when you are a Jedi Master with padawans of your own. But it does not change the fact that he was a taskmaster with me, and as different as you and I are, I was quite a bit stubborn and reactive, like you are now."  
  
"Hmph." Qui rolled his eyes.  
  
"And for some of the same reasons, I think."  
  
Qui raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
Dooku spoke to him in the Force, not wanting to be overheard. _You have feelings for your best friend, much the same way as I had - and have - feelings for mine._  
  
_I do._ Qui couldn't lie to him, not about this. _I don't know what to do about it. The Jedi Code forbids it._  
  
_They do. And that hasn't stopped me. It did, initially - I wrestled with conflict about the Code, and it was not something I could tell Yoda. As you know, I've still kept that knowledge from him, as best as I can. But in my soul-searching - my crisis of faith, as it were - I found this to be evident: just because the Order forbids something doesn't make it wrong, and just because the Order condones something doesn't make it right. When we blindly adhere to codes and commandments rather than examining for ourselves why something is right or wrong, we become slaves to dogma rather than servants of the Force._  
  
"That makes sense," Qui said, aloud.  
  
Dooku nodded. "As you know, all conflict needs a resolution, somehow. And being that I can see - and as importantly, _feel_ across our Force bond - how tense this has made you, I would suggest you find a swift resolution to this conflict of yours."  
  
_How did you manage to hide it from Yoda? How do you?_  
  
_Shielding,_ Dooku replied in the Force. _I shield from everyone habitually, even you. Especially you. The only person who I can't shield from very well is..._  
  
_Sev._  
  
Dooku nodded. _Speaking of, are you fine with staying in his quarters overnight, in Obi-Wan's room?_  
  
Sleepovers with Obi-Wan, whether in Obi and Sev's quarters or Qui and Dooku's, had been a common occurrence since the start of Qui's apprenticeship. When they were younger and more innocent Qui and Obi just thought their Masters allowed it due to their close friendship; over the last couple of years they realized it was a convenient way for their Masters to sleep together.  
  
And sleepovers were usually fine - Obi and Qui would stay up late trading stories and cracking jokes until they fell asleep. Sometimes, despite their Masters' best efforts to keep the sex noises down, they'd still hear them, and cringe and laugh together; Qui and Obi would make bantha noises to make fun of them, and Qui liked to imitate mating sea turtles that he'd seen on a documentary, comparing it to Sev's noises.  
  
But now that Qui had come to a crossroads with his feelings for Obi-Wan, a sleepover sounded more uncomfortable. He wasn't going to say no, it was simply that the mere thought of being in such close proximity to Obi made him nervous. Nervous and excited all at once.  
  
So Qui simply said, _Yes._  
  
They made a brief stop at their quarters to collect fresh changes of clothing - they kept toothbrushes at Sev and Obi's - and Qui fed his pets and his plants; though a droid was timed to take care of them in his absence, he still preferred to do it himself.  
  
The four performed their nightly meditation exercises together, and then Qui changed in the fresher, came out to wish his Masters goodnight, who were cuddling together on the couch watching a holomovie; Dooku was idly petting and nuzzling Sev's nape-length mane of dark curls, and Sev was skritching Dooku's beard. Qui let himself in Obi's room, where Obi was sitting in his bed in his pajamas.  
  
"How bad was the lecture?" Obi asked.  
  
"Not terrible," Qui said.  
  
"How many 'as you know's?"  
  
Qui smirked. "Seven."  
  
"Only seven?"  
  
"Only seven."  
  
"Wow, he's slacking off."  
  
Qui laughed aloud.  
  
_I heard that,_ Dooku spoke to both of them in the Force.  
  
_I also heard that,_ Sev chimed in. _And as you know, you're right..._  
  
There was a little scream from Sev, and Dooku's attempt at a shield; the boys could hear Sev's hysterical laughter from the living room, and Dooku growling, "You brat."  
  
"Fucking dorks," Qui said, laughing.  
  
"They're so gross," Obi said, laughing too.  
  
Qui looked down, his face burning. "I'm kind of a dork too."  
  
"Yeah, I noticed."  
  
Qui used the Force to throw a pillow at Obi, who threw two back in response. Qui hugged them and said, "Well... Master Dooku said I should say something, so." He cleared his throat. "I like you."  
  
"I like you too."  
  
"No, I mean, uh." Qui gestured awkwardly. "Er."  
  
"I don't speak Shyriiwook, or your awful butchering of it."  
  
Qui threw the pillows back at Obi, and laughed when one hit him in the face. He stopped laughing when a pillow came from behind him and whacked him, pushing him over. But then he laughed again, and so did Obi.  
  
"What I mean," Qui said when he caught his breath, "is that I like you, like you."  
  
"Like me like me? Did I hit you hard enough to cause brain damage?"  
  
"All right, you little shit." Qui took a flying leap onto Obi's bed, and though Obi tried to roll out of the way, Qui still landed on top of him. This was awkward for a second, and then, on impulse, Qui leaned in and gave Obi a kiss.  
  
They had seen their Masters kiss enough times that they knew what to do - their lips met, then their mouths opened, and their tongues swirled together. It was one thing to see kissing and another thing entirely to experience kissing. Qui had been wondering what his first kiss with Obi would be like, and it was everything he'd wanted and more; it felt like fireworks were going off in his brain...  
  
...and his cock leapt to attention. It was much more difficult to disguise an erection with the pajamas than it was under Jedi robes, and Qui felt awkward again, knowing Obi had to feel it poking him even through the blankets, but the kiss felt too good to stop, and indeed now it deepened, the two of them hungry for it, making up for lost time. Eventually they pulled apart to catch their breath, and took a moment just looking at each other in awe.  
  
"That was..." Qui couldn't find words.  
  
"Incredible." Obi licked his lips, and then he grabbed Qui and pulled him in for another kiss.  
  
And another. And another. Qui peeled the covers back and their hands roamed as they kissed; Qui could feel Obi's hardness pressed against his. It was when the hands roamed lower, near _there_, that they stopped, looking at each other shyly.  
  
"I don't... know what to do," Obi said.  
  
"Neither do I," Qui said. They knew their Masters had sex, but the mechanics were a bit lost on them.  
  
"And this is also..." Obi swallowed hard. "A big step."  
  
"Has Sev ever talked to you about...?"  
  
"He's never told me how to," Obi said, "but he knows I _like you like you_ -" Obi gave Qui a playful elbow nudge. "And he told me about how, among other things, it makes the Force bond stronger. In a way that can't really be broken."  
  
"That makes sense," Qui said, nodding. "Master Dooku said Sev is the only person he can't shield from."  
  
"Yeah." Obi also nodded. "So if we go there, we have to be really sure, because it's a point of no return."  
  
Qui gestured to his aching cock. "It's a point, all right."  
  
Obi smirked, then he frowned. "Do you... want to go in the fresher and take care of that?"  
  
"Nah, because then I'll hear them." Qui laughed, and so did Obi. "I'll just try to meditate and see if it goes away on its own." He snorted. "Or if listening to the two of them makes it go away."  
  
Qui was about to climb off the bed and Obi grabbed his wrist. "Do you... want to sleep in this bed with me?" Obi asked. "It's big enough for both of us. I'd like to hold you."  
  
Qui couldn't say no to that; his heart melted and he could feel his face break out into a huge grin. "I'd love that."  
  
Qui climbed under the covers next to Obi, and Obi pulled the covers around them. For a few minutes they lay side by side, embracing each other, then their legs braided together and Obi pulled Qui's head into his chest. Obi was already growing chest hair, and Qui nuzzled the fur, which was soothing and arousing all at once. He worried about getting hard again, but focusing on Obi's heartbeat helped.  
  
Obi pet Qui's hair and tweaked his padawan braid. "I've wondered what it would be like to hold you," Obi said softly.  
  
Qui picked his head up and they kissed again - no tongue this time, just the soft brush of their lips, but sweet and lingering. Qui reached for Obi's hands, and squeezed them. Then Obi wrapped his arms around Qui again, and rocked him until Qui fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Dooku was an early riser, usually up before dawn. Sev was not a morning person at all - he only got up in the morning because of the schedule at the Temple, and he set his alarm for as late as he could get away with. This meant that on the nights they slept together, which was most nights, Dooku would typically have at least two hours to himself for whatever he felt like doing, usually some combination of meditation, reading and exercise.  
  
But from time to time, he would linger in bed for awhile to watch Sev sleep. He loved how peaceful Sev looked as he slept, long dark lashes framing his cheeks, full lips slightly parted, dark curly hair tousled with the points of his ears poking out. Dooku almost didn't want to disturb Sev's peace, but he woke up hard and aching, in a way he couldn't ignore this time. He stroked Sev's beard, and leaned in to give Sev a soft, gentle kiss. When Sev's green eyes blinked open he smiled, continuing to stroke Sev's beard and then his cheek, and when Sev returned his smile he felt that catch in his breath and flutter in his stomach. He kissed the tip of Sev's nose and slid his lips down to Sev's lips again. Soon their tongues were playing together, dancing, both men groaning as the kiss deepened and heated. Beneath the blankets, Sev's hand reached to rub the hard bulge in Dooku's pajama bottoms.  
  
"Mmmmmm, what's this?" Sev started kissing Dooku's neck.  
  
Dooku shivered, letting out a moan as Sev's lips and tongue worked their magic, knowing too well where he was sensitive. He moaned again as Sev pressed his own hard-on against him.  
  
Sev claimed his mouth again, and when they pulled apart, Sev tugged at the hem of Dooku's pajama top. Together they pulled it off of him, and Sev tossed it onto the floor, chuckling as Dooku used the Force to fold it neatly. Then Dooku pulled the covers back and took off Sev's pajama top. Dooku's chest was hairy and Sev's was smooth; Dooku also had a lot of hair on his arms and legs, while Sev had a fine dusting. Both men had luxurious pubic bushes, with Sev's raven-black and Dooku's a dark brown, and these were exposed now as they shucked their pajama bottoms. Dooku was so caught up in the heat of the moment that he didn't even fold those, letting them lay rumpled on the floor.  
  
Naked in each other's arms, they kissed again and again, hard cocks rubbing together. Dooku's was slightly longer and Sev's was slightly thicker, and both were already starting to leak precum. Sev's hands roamed over Dooku's hairy chest, purring as he enjoyed the feel of the hair beneath his fingertips. His fingers brushed Dooku's nipples, and when Sev started kissing his neck once more, playing with his nipples, Dooku cried out, rubbing against Sev more urgently. Rubbing Dooku's nipple with the fingers and thumb of one hand, Sev's other hand strayed to their cocks. He collected Dooku's precum with his fingers and Dooku watched as he sucked it from his fingers. "Mmmmmm," Sev said, closing his eyes, savoring.  
  
Dooku kissed him roughly, growling into the kiss. He shivered again as Sev's hand reached back up to play with both of his nipples at the same time. He kissed Sev's neck, making Sev moan, and his hands roamed over Sev's body, appreciating the smooth skin and the feel of his muscle definition, silk hiding steel. He began to play with Sev's nipples as well, and as he kissed his way down Sev's neck, eventually he found his way to Sev's chest, licking and suckling Sev's nipples - using his fingers to tease one as his mouth worked on the other, making Sev arch to him and cry out.  
  
"Fuck," Sev panted.  
  
Dooku seized a nipple with his teeth, giving a playful little tug before laving it with slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue. Sev whimpered and bucked against him, and Dooku laughed softly as Sev opened his legs, already yielding to him. The fingers that had been caressing a nipple reached down to teasingly brush around Sev's opening. "Patience, my love," he husked before taking the nipple into his mouth, laughing again as Sev howled.  
  
"Bastard," Sev rasped, as Dooku's fingers played around his opening again.  
  
"My lineage is impeccable, I assure you." Dooku playfully kissed the tip of Sev's nose, before kissing his mouth again.  
  
The kiss deepened, and Sev spoke into his mind with the Force. _Two can play at this game._ With that, Sev grabbed Dooku's cock, stroking it slowly. Dooku moaned into the kiss, and then he gasped as he felt Sev take his cock and rub the head of his cock against the head of Sev's cock. He looked down and groaned at the sight of their cocks kissing; Sev pulled them apart and they watched the streamers of precum still connecting them. Then Sev worked the heads together again, and Dooku shivered at the feel of Sev's slit rubbing against his, feeling Sev's precum leak into his slit.  
  
"Fuck." Dooku didn't swear often, and Sev grinned at that sign of victory.  
  
"I'm just getting started." Sev nipped Dooku's lower lip with a growl, and kissed him hard as he took both their cocks into his fist. It was a tight fit, and the feeling of the tightness wrapped around both of them, the friction of Sev's hand and cock rubbing against cock, made them both cry out between kisses.  
  
Dooku kissed down Sev's neck, and kissed the sweet spot where the neck met the shoulder. Sev shivered, and Dooku slid his hand down Sev's body to brush against the heads of their cocks, teasing them further. His fingers slick with precum, he pushed into Sev's channel. He found Sev's prostate right away, and rubbed slowly, making Sev moan louder. Sev's grip tightened around their cocks and he stroked faster.  
  
When Dooku's fingers rubbed faster inside him, Sev's hand sped up even more on their cocks, and Dooku's balls tightened; he realized he wasn't going to last much longer. As much as he wanted to come inside his bondmate, he didn't want Sev to stop stroking them together, it felt too good. He nibbled a nipple and suckled hard, gratified by the sound of Sev panting, whimpering. Their cocks were completely slicked with precum now, and the slippery silken feel brought Dooku closer and closer to the edge. Feeling Sev's pleasure and lust in the Force just added to his own excitement.  
  
He moved his face to Sev's other nipple and took a few slow licks, then lapped faster and harder. He drew Sev's nipple into his mouth and their eyes met. Sev used his free hand to stroke Dooku's face and beard, and then he whispered, "I want us to come just like this... want to watch your cock come all over my cock, my cock to come all over your cock... soaked in each other's cum..."  
  
The dirty talk set him off. Dooku and Sev both cried out as they climaxed together, their climax intensified by watching each cock coat the other cock with cum - the feeling of hot cum gushing all over their cocks. They kissed deeply, trembling as their orgasm continued to pulse and throb, their Force bond making it so they didn't know where one ended and the other began, there was just the feeling of oneness, ecstasy.  
  
Dooku's head was in Sev's chest, and Sev stroked his hair, his face, his whiskers. After a few minutes of lazy contentment, Dooku picked his head up and they shared a soft, sweet kiss. Sev scooped up some of the cum from their cocks, and stuck his fingers in Dooku's mouth for him to taste. The taste of them combined made Dooku's cock wake up again; he moaned around the fingers in his mouth. He did the same, taking some of the cum from their cocks and putting his fingers in Sev's mouth. Watching Sev suck his fingers, moving his head back and forth like there was a cock in his mouth, made Dooku's cock even harder, harder still when Sev sensually licked his fingers clean, sucking each individual finger slowly, then licking some more, at last licking the palm even though there was no cum there.  
  
Their spent cocks had been plastered together during the afterglow, and now Dooku felt Sev's cock was hard again as well. Sev took them back into his fist, continuing to stroke them to life, and watched with a mischievous grin on his face as Dooku used the Force to retrieve the lubricant kept at Sev's bedside table. They kissed and kissed, as Dooku used the Force to pour lube over his hand, and then he started fingering Sev again, one finger, then two, then three, stretching him, rubbing his prostate, getting him ready. Sev's trembling hands ran over Dooku's body, his touch making Dooku even crazier with desire and need, and when Sev could take no more teasing he dug his nails into Dooku's lower back and ground out, "Please."  
  
Dooku loved it when he felt Sev's nails dig into him, and he kissed Sev hard. As they kissed, he used the Force to pour lube over his cock, and then he guided himself to Sev's channel.  
  
Even though Sev was regularly fucked by him, Sev was still tight. Through their Force bond Dooku felt that initial burning, stabbing discomfort as he pushed in, and the way Sev breathed through it, pushing out as Dooku pushed in, yielding to it because he wanted this just as badly. When Dooku was all the way inside, he gave Sev a moment to adjust to the fullness inside him; they took each other's hands and kissed deeply. Then Dooku nuzzled Sev and took his first thrust.  
  
He went slow and easy at first, as he often did, not merely to avoid hurting Sev with the size of him, but also to savor the silken heat of Sev wrapped around him, and what he could feel in their Force bond of the slight curve of his cock rubbing Sev's prostate just the right way. Sev gasped and panted and whimpered, moaning "Yes, yes," as Dooku rolled his hips; Dooku focused on Sev's pleasure above his own, taking pleasure from the way Sev responded to him as much as the sensation of Sev's channel gripping and stroking his cock.  
  
Lost in a haze of sensuality, Dooku fucked Sev slowly for a long time. They kissed and caressed and teased, and exchanged loving looks that spoke far louder than words. The trust in Sev's eyes as Dooku claimed the most intimate, vulnerable part of him again and again, brought tears to Dooku's own. He never took it for granted, especially not after what he himself had been through earlier in life. Sev took Dooku's hands and kissed them before placing them on his heart, and in that act of tenderness Dooku began to speed up, overcome by passion, letting his body express his feelings. Sev's hips rocked back against his, matching his rhythm, giving as good as he got. Soon the bed was rocking against the wall, the two not able to hold back their wild cries.  
  
Sev pulled Dooku in to kiss him, and his hands roamed over Dooku's back and ass. When Dooku was pounding him into the mattress, Sev's legs on his shoulders, Sev raked his nails down Dooku's back. Dooku bit Sev's lower lip, trying to keep from coming too soon, and was gratified by the feeling of Sev contracting around him, the feeling of Sev's hot cum spurting over his chest and stomach. "Yan," Sev screamed. "Yan... oh Force, Yan..."  
  
"Sev. My love." Dooku kissed him hard, groaning as he let go, spending deep inside the man he loved. Sev's ass continued to clench and twitch around him, Sev's cock continued to shoot cum, and Dooku loved it, just as much as he loved that feeling of oneness with Sev across their Force bond, that brief instant of oneness with the Force itself, every orgasm a microcosm of the Big Bang that exploded the universe into being in light and heat and life.  
  
This time Dooku held Sev as they drifted into the afterglow, petting his curls, affectionately tweaking the points of Sev's ears. A few minutes later they nuzzled, and Sev whispered, "Thank you."  
  
"Thank _you._" Dooku gave him a gentle kiss.  
  
"I don't understand why the Jedi forbid this," Sev said. "I feel so attuned to the Force when we come together."  
  
Dooku nodded. "This is sacred to me." He stroked Sev's beard. "You are sacred to me."  
  
They kissed again. Sev settled back into Dooku's chest, nuzzling his chest hair, swirling it with his fingers. Dooku smiled down at his beloved, feeling like at least for right then, life was good.  
  
He looked at the time and sighed. It was past the time he'd usually be up and about and waking up Qui-Gon.  
  
Sev noticed it too and patted him. "Let the boy sleep in for a change," Sev said. "Rest here with me for awhile. Let's just be, while we can."  
  
Dooku kissed Sev's forehead, and tightened his arms around him. Sev snuggled deeper into Dooku's chest, and after a few minutes seemed to be lulled into a nap, or at least a very deep meditative state. Dooku closed his own eyes, relaxing in the weight and warmth of Sev's body against his, and soon his mind floated elsewhere.  
  
  
_  
  
Twelve-year-old Yan Dooku lay on his bed for his evening meditations, but he'd been feeling a disturbance in the Force he couldn't quite place, and as time wore on, his uneasiness continued. He considered sneaking out of the youngling creche down to the quarters of Master Yoda - he'd begin living with his Master on his fourteenth birthday. But he knew he'd be reprimanded if he got caught.  
  
It was his first night being in his room alone. The younglings were paired two to a room, and for some years now Dooku's roommate had been Lorian Nod. Lorian was a human, like he was, but that was where the similarities began and ended. Dooku was the tallest of his human agemates, and Lorian one of the shortest. Dooku was quiet, reserved, and bookish; Lorian was hyperactive and athletic. Dooku was a bit of an overachiever in his studies, the top of his class, and Lorian was decidedly not.  
  
Jedi padawans had to be claimed by a Master by no later than age thirteen, or they would be sent to AgCorps, where the rejected Jedi initiate would be bound by strict rules and living under a form of house arrest to avoid misuse of the Force. It had a reputation for being a hard life, and failed Jedi initiates who were sent there had a tendency of dying young, whether by their own hand or meeting with an "accident" of some kind. Lorian's disdain for study and discipline had meant that he was still yet unclaimed by a Jedi Master. Lorian and Dooku had tolerated each other as roommates thus far - Lorian indeed knew how to prey on Dooku's loneliness and friendlessness to get Dooku to do favors for him, treating him as a friend when it was convenient, discarding him for the other popular padawans later. And always Dooku fell for it. Except recently, when Lorian decided to steal a holocron to cheat on an upcoming exam, because Lorian knew the threat of AgCorps was looming and this was his only salvation.  
  
This was bad enough, worse when Lorian tried to implicate Dooku as an accomplice. There were limits to what Dooku would do for Lorian, and things like stealing holocrons to cheat in exams went against his ethics. So he spoke honestly when questioned, and that was enough of a testimony against Lorian Nod to guarantee Lorian's expulsion from the Jedi Order.  
  
Lorian had been held in a detention cell, and Dooku assumed by the emptiness of Lorian's side of the room that he'd already retrieved his belongings with supervision. He was surprised to open his eyes and see Lorian in the doorway of their room.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Dooku asked. He was alarmed to see Lorian was alone, not with one of the Sentinels supervising him. "Where's your guard...?"  
  
"I knocked him out," Lorian said with an evil grin. He stepped forward onto the carpet. "You see... I wanted to say goodbye before I got sent off to AgCorps. Felt like I owed you a little something _for all your help_." His grin became a scowl.  
  
Before Dooku could react, Lorian dropped a vial on the rug, followed by a match. The match immediately ignited, and the liquid in the vial exploded into a wall of flame. Lorian stepped back into the hallway, and the wall of fire began to move towards Dooku. Dooku heard himself scream as he watched Lorian's bed go up in flames, their bookshelf with Dooku's books, and the fire kept coming towards him, unstoppable. He ran towards the window, hoping to break the thick plate glass, but to no avail. He pushed as hard as he could with the Force, grabbing a chair and slamming it against the window, but the glass didn't even crack. He continued to scream for help, even though the exertion on his lungs was making him weaker by the moment.  
  
He heard a commotion out in the hallway. One of his nearest crechemates was a boy named Severin, and he could hear Severin's voice now, with Lorian's screams. "You little punk shit!" Severin yelled. Then Severin called out, "Somebody help, he set the room on fire!"  
  
An alarm sounded, and Dooku continued to try to break the plate glass as the fire moved ever closer. It was getting harder and harder to breathe with the smoke in the room; Dooku coughed violently. He felt as if he were going to pass out any second. He fell over, and as he saw the flames approaching, he began to recite the litany under his breath. _Emotion, yet peace. Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force._  
  
Dooku closed his eyes. _Death, yet the Force._  
  
There was a hissing sound. Some of the fire went out, and Dooku saw Severin with a fire extinguisher that he'd managed to get out of the emergency kit in the hallway. But the flames closest to him were continuing to move forward. Dooku was starting to choke. As his vision blurred, he saw Severin being pushed out of the way by Jedi in envrosuits, with bigger fire extinguishers. That was the last thing he saw.  
  
He woke up in the infirmary. Master Yoda was at his bedside. Dooku sat up and tried to speak, but his throat hurt badly. Yoda nodded, feeling the pain across their budding Force bond.  
  
"Rest, you must." Yoda used the Force to pass a tablet and electronic pen over to him. "A lot of smoke, you inhaled. In a bacta tank, you were."  
  
_How long?_ Dooku wrote on the tablet, showing Yoda.  
  
"Three days."  
  
_I've been out for three days?_  
  
Yoda nodded.  
  
_I missed my exam!_  
  
"Make it up, you may."  
  
Dooku frowned. His mind flashed back to what he remembered, and he shuddered as he scribbled on the tablet. _What happened to Lorian Nod?_  
  
"Hm. Arrested, he was. Juvenile detention center, he will be sent to."  
  
_Is Severin all right?_ Dooku had little to no interaction with the boy - Severin was as much of a loner as he was, but he remembered hearing Severin do something to detain Lorian, before coming in with the fire extinguisher.  
  
"Being disciplined, he is."  
  
Dooku didn't like that. He began to cough, and choked out, "That isn't fair."  
  
"Not to speak, I told you."  
  
Dooku glared. He coughed some more, and then he rasped, "Why is he...?"  
  
"Attacked Lorian, he did. Fought the fire untrained, he did."  
  
Dooku couldn't believe this. He could feel anger building inside him - even though anger was unbecoming of a Jedi, a straight path to the Dark Side. It wasn't fair, it wasn't _just._ Dooku wanted to reply aloud, had another coughing fit, and gave in to using the tablet. _He subdued Lorian so he couldn't do further harm - Lorian took out the man guarding him, for Force's sake. And what was he supposed to do, wait and let me burn to death? He did something heroic, and you're punishing him._  
  
"Broke the rules, he did, and rules are rules."  
  
Dooku got so angry he flung the tablet across the room and broke down crying. The shock of the action - something so unlike him - made him cry even harder, ashamed.  
  
Yoda quietly got up, and Dooku thought Yoda was going to leave the room in exasperation, but instead Yoda hobbled over to where Dooku had thrown the tablet. Yoda could have used the Force to pick it up, but instead he picked it up by hand, and hobbled directly to Dooku's bed, to place the tablet in his lap. Then he took Dooku's hand in his tridactyl hand, and squeezed.  
  
"Rules, he must learn now. Badly hurt, he could have been. More damage, he could have done."  
  
Dooku didn't think so.  
  
"When a Jedi Knight he is, heed the Council he must. Learn that he will not, if discipline him, we do not."  
  
Dooku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He still felt angry, and he knew Yoda felt it, but amazingly, Yoda wasn't going to lecture him, at least not now. Instead, Yoda patted his shoulder.  
  
"Glad I am, that you survived. Sorry I am, that your friend hurt you."  
  
And Dooku heard himself say, "He was not my friend."  
  
Dooku was released from the infirmary two days later. Because his room had been burned, he was moved to a new room, and that meant some of the younglings were shuffled around. He found himself rooming with Severin Yusanis.  
  
The first night they roomed together, Severin avoided him, as he always did - Severin avoided everyone. It was after lights out, when they lay across from each other under the covers, that Dooku said, "Thank you for what you did."  
  
Severin said nothing, though Dooku could tell in the Force that Severin heard him.  
  
The next day they ate their meals in the cafeteria, with Dooku sitting alone at one table as he always did, and Severin sitting alone at another table on the other side of the cafeteria, as he always did. Lorian had been one of the more popular padawans, surrounded by a group of friends, and though those friends were still gathered together, the cafeteria seemed quieter with Lorian's absence... and Dooku noticed Lorian's old crowd kept whispering amongst themselves and glaring daggers at him. The first few times Dooku tried to ignore it, but after awhile an unease began brewing in him, the same unease he felt just before Lorian set his room on fire.  
  
When lunch time was over and Dooku threw away his trash and moved towards the exit, ready to go back to class, he was stopped by several of the boys and girls Lorian had been friends with. He politely tried to excuse himself and walk around them, and one of the boys blocked his path and shoved him. Then another boy shoved him.  
  
"You got Lorian in trouble," one of the boys said.  
  
"Yeah. You stole a holocron and blamed it on him. Then you set your room on fire and blamed it on him," one of the girls said.  
  
"I... did no such thing," Dooku said. "You can ask the Jedi Masters. They will tell you the truth -"  
  
Dooku got Force thrown for that, and then an uneaten tray of food was dumped on his head.  
  
Then, suddenly, the boy who Force threw him was Force thrown against the wall, and Dooku watched as ladles of food from the buffet launched at the boys and girls who were bullying him. Severin Yusanis walked towards them, nostrils flaring, the points of his ears twitching.  
  
"Eight against one? That must make you feel real big and powerful. So strong in the Force," Severin snarled. "If the Jedi Masters could see you now, ganging up on someone, bullying him. Such worthy future Jedi you are." He tapped a device on his wrist. "I got it all recorded."  
  
They went after him, and Severin responded by Force throwing them into chairs and tables, using the Force to fling more food at them. There was enough of a commotion that some of the Jedi Masters had to come in to break it up, and Severin was dragged off, though he didn't put up a fight, just calmly accepted his fate.  
  
Severin was not in their room that night, and Dooku worried that Severin would be sent to AgCorps. He knew that Severin was being disciplined, likely being told that he was in the wrong for what he'd done, even though the gang of bullies had started it, and Severin had been doing exactly what a Jedi Knight was supposed to do - stick up for others.  
  
It bothered Dooku enough that he decided to sneak out of his room, even though he knew he risked discplinary action himself for doing so, and he made his way across the Temple - masking his presence in the Force as strongly as he could, hiding when necessary - to Master Yoda's room. He was about to knock on Yoda's door, but the small green man answered before Dooku even knocked, knowing he was there.  
  
Dooku expected a lecture about rules and to be marched back to his room, but instead Yoda let him in, had Dooku sit down, and quietly put a kettle on. It was a bit late for regular caffeinated tea, at least for Dooku, so Yoda fixed him a cup of herbal tea. "Help you sleep, it will," Yoda said, gesturing to the glass after he put it in front of Dooku.  
  
Dooku realized, as Yoda sat across from him, that it was the first time they were doing a formal Jedi tea ceremony, and wondered about the implications of that. But that wasn't why he was here; he had other questions.  
  
"Where is my roommate?" Dooku asked.  
  
"In a detention cell, he is."  
  
Dooku slammed his glass down. "He defended me. The others ganged up on me - he had a holorecorder, there should be a vid with evidence -"  
  
"And angry he was, and took revenge, he did. Fought them, he did, instead of choosing other actions."  
  
"What other actions could he have taken with eight against two, exactly? Running out to get help and leaving me alone with them to do even worse? You talk of rules, and how it's important for Jedi to heed them. But when he and I are all grown up, and out on missions, we're going to have to make judgment calls that don't involve waiting to summon bigger fish to ride us out of the stormy sea. Severin did, in there, what he could do. And, speaking frankly, what he _should_ have done. It is our _job_ as Jedi Knights to defend those in need. He did exactly that, and if you're going to... send him to AgCorps?" Dooku cringed just thinking about it. "Then you're going to have to send me too. All that potential you keep telling me I have? All that potential will be wasted, that's one less Jedi you'll have. Because I refuse to serve an Order that's going to punish people for doing the right thing. Damn the rules, _fuck_ the rules. Did the Force come down on high and say that people had to sit there when others are being hurt? I think not."  
  
Yoda said nothing, but calmly sipped his tea, and this infuriated Dooku even more than if Yoda would lecture him.  
  
Dooku sat there, letting Yoda drink, feeling like if he yelled at his Master to say something, it would add fuel to the fire. Dooku tried to get himself under control, breathing deeply, trying to ground and center.  
  
When Yoda had finished his tea, he put the glass down, folded his tridactyl hands, looked down, closed his eyes in meditation, and then he said, "Come with me."  
  
Dooku followed Yoda out of Yoda's quarters. He didn't know where they were going; after a long walk through the big Temple it became apparent Yoda had been heading to the detention barracks. One of the Sentinels stationed there was surprised to see Yoda, and even more surprised to see Dooku, but said simply, "Is this one going in?" He snickered. "I don't know what's gotten into your younglings lately."  
  
"He is not," Yoda said. "Severin Yusanis. Release him, you will."  
  
The Sentinel raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "He was put in there by order of Master -"  
  
"Know I, who signed the order. Also on the Council, I am, and more authority than Master Brom, I have." Yoda folded his arms. "The boy, you will bring me."  
  
"Yes, Master Yoda." The Sentinel typed into the console, and a few minutes later, a guard escorted Severin Yusanis to the security checkpoint; the force field was lowered and they stepped through. Severin looked at Dooku, but said nothing.  
  
Yoda brought them back to their room, in silence. He turned the lights out before leaving them.  
  
Dooku and Severin each sat on the edge of their beds, and finally Severin climbed under his covers without saying anything.  
  
Dooku didn't know what to say - there was nothing he really could say that didn't sound trite, somehow. So he too climbed under his covers but at last he said, "Good night."  
  
"G'night," Severin mumbled.  
  
The next day, Dooku dreaded going to the cafeteria again. He knew that those who had bullied him had been spoken to and disciplined, and though he could feel the stares and the whispering, he had a feeling they wouldn't start anything with him or at least not today. After he got his different sides of food, he decided that instead of going to his usual table to sit alone, he went over to Severin's table.  
  
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" Dooku asked.  
  
Severin gestured, but said nothing.  
  
Severin was already sitting down when Dooku got in, and Dooku saw a citrus fruit on Severin's tray that hadn't been available when Dooku got to being served; when the fruits were available the younglings usually took two or even three, customarily. Dooku tried to not look at it, feeling embarrassed at the pang of envy, but then he heard Severin sigh, and he watched as Severin took the fruit and put it on Dooku's tray.  
  
"Oh," Dooku said, "thank you. You didn't have to -"  
  
Severin waved his hand in protest. "It's all right."  
  
Dooku peeled it and took a moment to inhale the sweet, tangy fragrance. He peeled off a slice and handed it to Severin, who took it with mumbled thanks.  
  
"We can split it if you want," Dooku said.  
  
"Nah, I'm good," Severin said with his mouth full of the fruit slice.  
  
It was bad manners - the difference between early life spent on Serenno and early life spent on Corellia - but Dooku for once didn't mind. Dooku nibbled on his fruit thoughtfully.  
  
When lunch time was over, the boys threw away their trash together, and then Dooku walked alongside Severin to class. Severin barely acknowledged him, but didn't protest, either.  
  
Later that night the padawans were taken shopping - they had a weekly allowance and were allowed to spend it on recreational items within reason and supervision. Dooku had lost everything he'd owned in the fire, and he felt sad rather than happy about the prospect of replacing it, so he hung behind in the small park of the shopping plaza, feeding geese. When they rode back to the Temple, Severin sat next to him, rather than sitting in the back of the speeder bus by himself like he usually did.  
  
When they got back to their room, Dooku changed for the night in the fresher, and when he came back out in his pajamas he saw Severin rummaging through a shopping bag. Dooku was about to go straight to bed, but Severin stopped him and placed something in his hands. "Here," he said.  
  
Dooku looked down and saw a copy of the novel he'd been reading before the room was set on fire. "How did you know -"  
  
"The Force," Severin said, simply.  
  
Dooku sat on his bed. He was torn between wanting to get right back into the book, and wanting to talk to his new roommate. But then Severin put in earphones and started drawing on a tablet, so Dooku read for awhile, until curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"What are you drawing?" Dooku asked.  
  
"Nothing," Severin mumbled.  
  
"It's not nothing." Dooku put down his book. "I'd like to see it. I like art."  
  
Severin sighed, and used the Force to pass the tablet over.  
  
Dooku recognized the Temple Gardens, but there was a portion of the Temple Gardens he didn't recognize, with a waterfall cascading into a small stream, surrounded by ferns and mushrooms. "I've never seen that before," Dooku said.  
  
"I'll take you there sometime," Severin said, taking the tablet back.  
  
"I'd like that."  
  
"There are probably some other places you haven't seen then," Severin said. "You've never been on the rooftop, have you?"  
  
Dooku shook his head.  
  
Severin grinned.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Sev woke up first, and woke Dooku up by peppering his face with kisses. Dooku woke up laughing, and gave Sev a squeeze before he sat up. When he saw the time he stopped laughing.  
  
"Shit," he said. "Qui-Gon's going to think I'm dead -"  
  
"Nah, he asked about you." Sev was already dressed, in his Jedi robes. "But I told him why you slept in, and he's probably more traumatized by that than if he found out you were dead."  
  
"Dear _Force._" Dooku shook his head, laughing and cringing all at once.  
  
Dooku washed up and got in his Jedi robes, and followed Sev out into the living room, where Qui and Obi were playing dejarik.  
  
"All right," Dooku said, "it's time for your studies."  
  
Qui and Obi groaned in unison. "Do we have to?" Qui whined. "Can we take a day off?"  
  
"No," Dooku said.  
  
Sev silently mouthed "I tried, my dudes" to the boys, and Dooku shot him a dirty look. Sev gave him a trollish grin.  
  
Dooku took Qui back to their quarters, and Qui worked on schoolwork as Dooku did some research for an upcoming mission. It became obvious about an hour into the respective studies that Qui was feeling distracted, so Dooku put his infopadd down and looked at Qui, then proceeded to make tea.  
  
They had the tea ceremony, and over tea, Dooku gestured for Qui to speak.  
  
"I did what you suggested and resolved it," Qui said.  
  
"Oh." Dooku waited.  
  
"So I, uh." Qui ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Told Obi-Wan how I feel. And he feels that way too."  
  
"That much has been obvious, yes."  
  
"We, uh, kissed."  
  
As much as Dooku rather thought of Qui as being like the son he'd never had and the thought of him having any sort of sex life was mildly disturbing, Dooku also recognized this wasn't the time to get in Qui's way. "All right," Dooku said. "And?"  
  
"And, what?"  
  
"And..." Dooku folded his hands. "Anything else?"  
  
"Uh, no?" Qui frowned. "We, uh." He laughed nervously. "We don't, uh, know how to, uh. Er."  
  
"I see."  
  
"And even if we did, I would feel weird about, like, rushing into it. I mean, you and Sev didn't rush into it, right?"  
  
"Not exactly." Dooku drank some of his tea, and then leaned back in his seat. "I am glad that you're waiting a bit. As Sev has told Obi-Wan, you want to make sure that you are very sure, because it has the power to create a Force bond that cannot be easily broken."  
  
Qui nodded. "But you and Sev have no regrets?"  
  
"None at all." Dooku smiled. Then he frowned. "The only regret I have is that he and I cannot be open about our relationship."  
  
"Yeah, that isn't good. I hope the Order changes their policy."  
  
"Sadly, I don't think they will, as they've had this rule for thousands of years. We are not the only Jedi Knights in a relationship, there is also Master Nu and Master Sifo-Dyas, but four people are unlikely to sway the Council." Dooku pursed his lips. "Which is another thing to consider. You will have to be very careful, or you risk exile from the Order, which doesn't end well."  
  
Qui nodded.  
  
"It's a lot to think about, really," Dooku said. "But when you have thought about it, Sev and I will put our heads together with what we can do to help you."  
  
"OK."  
  
"In the meantime..." Dooku gave Qui a stern look. "Get back to work."


	3. Chapter 3

Today, Dooku and Qui were focusing on telekinesis.  
  
The first exercise had been something they'd done many times before - Dooku and Qui each assembled a rock sculpture, stacking small stones on top of each other with the Force. In the early days of Qui's training, it was enough for Qui to just complete the task, gathering one hundred eight stones scattered around the meditation room with just the Force and then stacking them in a way they would not topple over - easier said than done, with several crashes before the final stable product, sometimes taking hours.  
  
Now, however, it was on "hard mode". Dooku and Qui had a competition to see who could finish first, and they were also using the Force to try to prevent each other from stacking the stones, such as using the Force to snatch a stone away as it was being gathered, or using the Force to try to topple the other's sculpture. It necessitated the use of shielding as well as being able to break against another's shielding, useful if engaged in combat with another Force sensitive. Qui had always thought that unlikely - the Sith were said to be gone for a long time now - but it was something Dooku was always prepared for, right down to his choice of lightsaber form, Makashi, an old style designed for dueling.  
  
Having to protect his own sculpture from Dooku, and prevent Dooku from building his, was difficult enough. The second task was a game that they'd only played a few times before, and wasn't particularly fun to Qui as far as games went - a game called Djenge, with a tower constructed of wooden blocks, and the tower would be stacked ever higher with blocks removed from lower stories of the tower. The object of the game was to do so without toppling the tower, which meant having to pull out the lower blocks in a very careful, precise manner. It was hard enough to do with one's hands, looking at the tower; it was almost impossible to do blindfolded with just the Force. And yet, that was what they were doing.  
  
Qui understood the point of these exercises were to hone his skill in the Force. He still found them exceedingly frustrating - careful and precise was not his style. It was why he'd chosen Ataru instead of Makashi as his lightsaber form, not simply because it annoyed Dooku and he was angry with his Master at the time, and decided to learn lightsaber technique from his Grandmaster. Makashi had a lot of finesse, while Ataru had the big, grand sweeping gestures that didn't make Qui feel like the proverbial bantha in the glassware shop. The game of Djenge made him feel even clumsier.   
  
So even when Dooku was conciliatory and told Qui "you're improving" instead of his usual lectures about Qui's breathing or how to refine his focus, Qui was in the mood to get as far away from him as possible when the lesson was finished.  
  
On days like this, Qui would storm off and Dooku would let him, understanding the young man's need to have space. Usually, Qui sought the peace of the Temple Gardens, soothed by the beauty of nature. But today Qui's footsteps led him through the opposite direction of the Temple - to the library.  
  
The Jedi library was vast, a labyrinth of shelves of holocrons on just about any and every subject imaginable. There were a few sections of holocrons that were restricted from padawans, and a few more that were restricted from all but a few Jedi Masters. Qui liked to read, not as much as his Master, but he did find certain subjects fascinating, particularly the study of far-off places and what the flora and fauna and cultures were like. Today, however, he wasn't here to access a holocron.  
  
"Padawan Jinn," Jocasta Nu said.  
  
Qui always felt a little tongue-tied around Jocasta - she was a beautiful woman who could have had a modelling or idol career if she hadn't become a Jedi. Her dark blonde hair was in a bun held by hairsticks, and her Jedi robes were a richly patterned bright yellow and blue, bringing out the blue of her eyes - adornments not commonly seen in the austerity of the Order. She was like a tropical bird among pigeons and geese, and yet somehow was in trouble far less often, or even not at all, compared to Dooku and Sev.  
  
"Master Nu." Qui cleared his throat. "Hello."  
  
"Can I help you find something?" She gave a small smile.  
  
"Perhaps, but I'm... not sure it's something to read."  
  
Jocasta looked him up and down, and then gave a small nod. "Have tea with me, padawan."  
  
Jocasta had a small office in the library, which was more decorated than usual Jedi office spaces - various sculptures and paintings from different cultures around the Galaxy, brightly colored pillows to sit on, rugs and blankets. Jocasta made them tea, and poured it into glasses. They spent a few minutes drinking in silence before Jocasta said, simply, "You had a rough day."  
  
"I did." Qui nodded.  
  
"You are having many doubts about yourself and your training right now."  
  
"I am."  
  
"We've all been there." Jocasta smiled. "Even your Master has been there."  
  
Qui snorted. "I find that hard to believe."  
  
"Oh, yes."  
  
Qui blinked slowly. "He knows how hard I'm struggling. You'd think if he cared, he'd tell me he did too, once upon a time."  
  
"It's probably because he cares that he does not," Jocasta said. "He wants you to have confidence in him as a teacher - confidence in his ability to guide you through your doubts and fears - and that's hard to inspire if he tells you that a decade ago he was feeling much as you're feeling right now." Jocasta sipped her tea. "If anything, he may have struggled even harder with certain things."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Dooku and Sev have both told me about you and Padawan Kenobi, and honestly I could tell anyway." Jocasta smirked. "I know you also have feelings for my padawan, Tahl."  
  
Qui nodded. "What's she up to right now?"  
  
"She's in a sim. I'll let her know you were asking about her."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"But, yes. Even though what you are feeling is against the Jedi Code, you at least have the example of seeing Dooku and Sev, and myself and Sifo, in happy relationships. Careful. Cautious. Knowing that one false move and we could be exiled, cut off from each other and the Force itself. But still willing to take that risk, and willing to question the Code itself. Dooku did not have that example, when he was your age, and it was difficult for him, because even though he is far more of a maverick than some Jedi, he still takes things like duty and responsibility seriously. He was always far too serious even when young, a bit of an overachiever, and it drew the ire of some of our peers, who bullied him for a time. I'm ashamed to say that I was one of them."  
  
"Oh." Qui frowned. "Master Dooku never told me about that."  
  
"Of course he wouldn't. The past can be a painful subject for him. And he probably won't appreciate that I told you these things now. But perhaps it might help you to know that your Master has struggled, and part of becoming a Jedi Knight is learning how to persevere through these struggles and find our way."  
  
  
_  
  
Twelve-year-old Yan Dooku and Severin Yusanis had been sharing a room in the youngling dorm for two weeks. Dooku had finally made a friend - a real friend, not the pretense of friendship that he had with Lorian Nod, who only managed kindness when he wanted something from Dooku. They were eating together in the cafeteria, as they did, when a girl approached their table.  
  
It had been one of the girls who'd bullied Dooku after Lorian Nod was expelled from the Academy, and indeed, had been unkind on occasion to him before that. Dooku's heart skipped a beat, fearing she was here to start trouble, and if looks could kill, the glare Sev gave her would have disintegrated her on the spot.  
  
But instead of provocation, she gave a small smile and bowed her head. "I wanted to tell you I'm sorry," she said.  
  
Sev snorted. "Get out of here. You're just sorry because you got caught, and you're here because Master Brom told you that you had to apologize."  
  
While Sev's straightforwardness was something Dooku was unused to, and would have seen it as rude under other circumstances, Dooku felt somewhat comforted by it now - he was also unused to anyone being protective of him, and he liked that feeling. Some of his tormentors had called him "Severin's pet", since they'd become friends, and the insult backfired because instead of making Dooku feel angry, he found it strangely comforting. He instinctively moved closer to Sev, who reached under the table to put a hand on his knee.  
  
"I'm not sorry because I got caught," the girl said.  
  
"Shut up, Jocasta," Sev snapped.  
  
She picked up her head and glared at him, and Sev and Jocasta spent a good thirty seconds just glaring at each other before she said, "I think Dooku can speak for himself, whether or not my apology is accepted." She pursed her lips and looked at Dooku. "It's a sincere apology. Master Brom made me watch some holovideos about mob violence and I had to do some thinking about what I've done. We should be supporting each other, not attacking each other. A lot of us," she gestured to the group of padawans sitting across the cafeteria, "are just jealous because you're stronger in the Force and you're very smart and Master Yoda himself has taken you as his padawan learner. And instead of being jealous, we should either focus more on our own studies and being the best Jedi that we can be, or maybe even ask you for help if we need it."  
  
Dooku and Sev looked at each other, and then Dooku said to Jocasta, "I accept your apology."  
  
"All right." Jocasta smiled. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" She raised an eyebrow at Sev.  
  
"Go ahead," Sev said. "If you're just messing with us, though..."  
  
"I'm not." Jocasta frowned. "What I did was horrible, and I'd really like to make it up to you somehow. Both of you."  
  
Jocasta got her food, and sat down with them. A few minutes later, a short boy with wavy dark hair and caramel skin sat down next to her, across from Sev and Dooku. "Hey, Jo!" he said.  
  
"Hey, Sifo." Jocasta smiled.  
  
Sev glowered; this was another one of the bullies. The points of his ears twitched with annoyance.  
  
Sifo-Dyas looked at Sev and Dooku, and said, "What's up," like nothing had ever happened.  
  
"You know..." Sev waved his knife in a vaguely threatening gesture; Dooku felt a strange frisson down his spine.  
  
Sifo nodded. "I know Jo apologized, and she said it far better than I could. I'm not good with words and stuff." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't want to hang around with those assholes over there anymore, and I only did because they were bullying me too and I felt like the best way was to join them."  
  
"There's strength in numbers," Dooku said.  
  
"There is." Sifo nodded again.  
  
Sev said nothing and just resumed eating his lunch, giving Jocasta and Sifo a wary glare the entire time.  
  
The next day, as Dooku and Sev were coming back from lightsaber practice, Sev arrived in their room first and Dooku heard him yell, "OH, MY FORCE."  
  
Dooku rushed in. "Are you all right?"  
  
At Sev's bedtable, there was a bouquet of flowers in a vase. They were purple lilies, speckled with cyan. At Dooku's bedtable, he had a bouquet of yellow roses.  
  
"These lilies are native to Yllen," Sev said, "my mother's homeworld."  
  
"The roses are like the ones my family grew on Serenno," Dooku said.  
  
Sev and Dooku looked at each other. "Someone's done their research," Sev said.  
  
"Someone who probably spends a lot of time in the library." Dooku couldn't help but lean in to inhale the scent of the roses.  
  
"Glad you like them," Jocasta said, sticking her head in the door.  
  
_  
  
  
Because so many were brought into the Order without much in the way of birth records, a Jedi "birthday" was typically not the date of one's birth, but the day one was brought in to the Jedi Order. Dooku and Sev both arrived at the age of six, but within one month of each other, so Sev's fourteenth "birthday" came first and he was moved into the quarters of Jedi Master Nela Aboru, a Twi'lek.  
  
Dooku avoided his new roommate for the month he remained in the dorm, and then he was moved in with Yoda. Dooku had plenty of interaction with his Master before this, but it was an entirely different thing to live with him. Yoda was an obligate carnivore, and the native diet of his people mostly consisted of bugs. After a couple of nights of insects served over rice, Dooku buried himself in the library researching cooking food that wasn't bugs, more suitable to a human diet, and decided to start experimenting, but he needed another human or near-human to test his product. It was an excuse to invite Sev over.  
  
Sev ate with gusto, complimenting Dooku profusely and stating that it was better than anything served in the cafeteria or anything Master Aboru made. Dooku was proud of himself, and continued to file away even more recipes, having Sev over frequently to taste-test them. Dooku had concerns that Yoda would object to Sev being in their quarters so much and the obvious attachment of their friendship, but Yoda told Dooku, "Good for you, he is. Other perspectives, you need. Feed the soul, friendship does. Learn to care for the Galaxy, Jedi do, by caring for one another."  
  
Living with their Masters meant beginning a more intensive course of their padawan training; this included more intensive lightsaber training. Younglings used practice lightsabers until they were twelve, and then for the next two years would receive limited instruction in each of the forms, to get a feel for their strengths and weaknesses. Once they were fourteen and living with their Master, there would now be the expectation to choose one or two lightsaber forms to specialize in. It was most often the case that a padawan would choose the form of their Master, but it was allowed to choose another form and learn lightsaber instruction from another Master, while continuing to spar with one's own Master to test form against form.  
  
Yoda's lightsaber form was Ataru. Dooku already thought the little green man was comical, and watching him jump around like a circus performer utterly ludicrous. He had no desire to look like that, and learning from another Master would give him a sense of independence that he craved. When he was in the youngling dorms, Dooku considered specializing in Soresu, a measured, balanced form, good and reliable. But over time, his fascination with history led to fascination with Makashi - what had been the most widely used style in the days of Revan, when duels between Sith and Jedi were commonplace. There were no Sith anymore, so it was said, but Dooku felt like history could repeat itself, and even if the Sith were never a threat again, there might be other Dark Side cults out there. Dooku wanted to be able to duel properly, and the elegance of Makashi appealed to his sense of aesthetics. He was also not one to go along with the crowd; the idea of doing something different from the majority of his agemates appealed to him.  
  
There was exactly one Makashi specialist at the Jedi Order, and he was old and had not had students in a good twenty years. Knowing he was possibly saving Makashi from extinction gave Dooku a sense of satisfaction, as did seeing the old Master's delight at finally having someone to teach. Elders were to be respected, Jedi elders especially for their long service and dedication to the Order, and Dooku hoped that if he lived to be as old as this man, he too would continue to fight well and train new generations of Jedi.   
  
Dooku confided in Sev - Sev was often a sounding board for his opinions and ideals, and one of the things he liked about Sev was that Sev wasn't afraid to challenge him if he thought Dooku was wrong. When he told Sev about old Master Thoril's reaction to training him in Makashi, and Dooku's hopes of being like Master Thoril when he got to be that age, Sev threw his head back and laughed, the loud, wild laugh that Dooku loved so much, even when it was at his expense, as it was now.  
  
"You're fourteen and you're thinking about what you'll be like at eighty?" Sev shook his head.  
  
"I think we should live life realizing that what we do will affect us, and others, for years to come," Dooku said. "I don't see what the harm is in planning in the long term."  
  
"You already are an old man," Sev teased.  
  
"Does that mean I can tell you to get off my lawn?" They were sitting in the Temple Gardens, near the waterfall, a less-trafficked place of the Gardens.  
  
Sev's response was to grab Dooku and roll him over so he was laying where Sev had been sitting. "Now you're on my lawn," Sev cackled.  
  
The two wrestled, as they did on a regular basis to practice non-lightsaber combat training, and was often fueled by their banter. They rolled around together in the grass, grabbing at each other, trying to pin each other and lock an arm or a leg in a submission hold painful enough to make the other tap out. But this time Sev started tickling him also - very much not a part of standard combat training. Dooku tickled him back, until Sev put him in a headlock and gave him a noogie, and Dooku broke that by grabbing the point of Sev's ear.  
  
He'd heard that Ylleni ears were very sensitive, but now here was living proof of that. Sev made a noise that sounded like a howl of pain, and shuddered. Dooku immediately let go, concerned he'd hurt Sev, and then Sev's eyes fluttered open and his lips parted slightly, his face flushed, and Dooku realized the reaction hadn't been of pain, but he didn't understand what else it could have been. Sev grabbed Dooku's wrist, as if to pull his hand back over to do it again, and then he let go, looking away, face flushing more.  
  
They sat up. Dooku grabbed the flask he carried and filled it with water from the waterfall and handed it to Sev to drink. Sev mumbled his thanks and then Dooku sat next to him again; Sev leaned on him, which wasn't unusual, but the warmth and tingling Dooku felt at the proximity was unusual. He couldn't stop looking at Sev's eyes, which were the most beautiful and unusual shade of green he'd ever seen, the full lips wrapped around the flask, before his face lit up into that radiant smile that took his breath away.  
  
"So you really are going to take Makashi," Sev said, "and not become an Ataru like Yoda."  
  
Dooku couldn't help glaring.  
  
"What?" Sev asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"It's not 'become an Ataru'. That is not proper Basic. Ataru is a lightsaber form; one would become an Ataru practitioner."  
  
Sev started laughing again.  
  
"What is so funny about that," Dooku snapped.  
  
"Your face." Sev grinned. "You." He poked Dooku's nose. "You're cute."  
  
"_I am not cute._" And yet, those words set off a little thrill inside of him. _He thinks I'm cute!_ He felt light-headed, and a sudden surge of energy that would make him want to hop around if that wouldn't be so ridiculous-looking and undignified.  
  
"Yes you are." Sev drank some more water and handed the flask back to him. "I was thinking about taking Soresu like Master Aboru, but..."  
  
"...just about everyone is learning Soresu."  
  
"Yeah." Sev nodded. "And... well... the way you talk about Makashi makes it, I don't know... interesting. So maybe we should..."  
  
"Learn from Master Thoril together?" Dooku gave a small smile. "I'd like that."  
  
"Then I can become a Makashi."  
  
"You know..."  
  
"I know."  
  
On impulse, Dooku took the flask and splashed Sev with some of the water inside. Sev used the Force to snatch the flask away and dump out the remaining contents on Dooku's head. Dooku lunged and Sev ran away, shrieking and laughing, and Dooku chased him around the Gardens. They ended up in the fountain near the Temple, ducking each other, making themselves a soaked mess until Master Ako, who had been quietly meditating, found them and finger-wagged them all the way into the Temple, marching them into Yoda's quarters. Yoda took one look at the two drenched padawans and laughed uproariously, much to Master Ako's dismay, who left in a huff. Yoda continued to laugh as he fetched them clean towels.  
  
"Drowned womprats, you are," Yoda said, passing them towels in the Force. He referenced a myth common to several human homeworlds. "A great flood, there is. An ark, I must build."  
  
"I've got a wild animal you can take," Dooku teased, pushing Sev forward.  
  
"Ha. Ha ha." Sev rolled his towel and whipped Dooku in the butt, and Dooku's response was to put Sev in a headlock and give him a noogie.  
  
Then Dooku looked at the time. "Shit. I should have started cooking a half-hour ago."  
  
"Take care of it, will I," Yoda said.  
  
"Oh no, Master, please don't cook..." Dooku wrinkled his nose.  
  
Yoda laughed and shook his head. "Go out into the city, I will. Takeaway, I will bring back. A preference, do you have?" He looked at Sev. "And you?"  
  
Sev and Dooku settled on fish and chips, and Yoda took off, leaving the two padawans alone. They went into Dooku's room, as they'd done many times before. But this time it was different - they were still tracking water throughout the flat, despite towelling off. They needed to change their robes. Sev's clothing was back at his quarters with Master Aboru on the other side of the Temple, but Dooku and Sev were of a similar height and build, so it was all right for Sev to borrow something of his for the evening. Dooku had a strong sense of modesty and normally balked at the idea of changing in front of others, but he was worn out from the running around enough to not really notice or care. The sight of Sev shirtless did pique his interest and he found himself staring, and trying not to be caught staring. Dooku looked down for modesty's sake as Sev changed his bottom garments, but his curiosity got the better of him and he found himself staring there, too, and feeling a bit ashamed, moreso when he felt himself growing hard at the sight, not fully understanding why.  
  
Once they were in fresh robes, Dooku and Sev sat together on Dooku's bed, as they often did, and Dooku activated the holoscreen on the wall across from his bed so they could watch something together as they waited for Yoda to return. Sev leaned on him again, which was uncomfortably awkward and nice at the same time, and Dooku found himself inclining his head so their heads were also touching; without really thinking about it, Dooku's fist curled around Sev's index finger. They were both tired enough from the exertion of the afternoon to fall asleep like that, waking up with a start at the sound of Yoda puttering around in the kitchen, opening paper bags.  
  
Dooku couldn't stop looking at Sev as they ate, and also found himself trying to shield that from Yoda - self-conscious about it when he was usually so open with Yoda about things. He didn't understand the reaction he was having, but he knew it was something the Council would probably not approve of. While it was left unsaid, for now, Dooku felt that afternoon had been a game-changer in his friendship with Sev, and looking back on it years later Dooku would recognize that as the point where he realized he had fallen in love with his best friend.  
  
  
_  
  
  
It was over two years later before Dooku could acknowledge his feelings, or even find a word for them. Life continued on as usual, training with Yoda, practicing with Sev, studying on his own. Once a week the padawans usually went on a trip into the city with a living allowance, and Sev and Dooku, Jocasta and Sifo would shop and sightsee together. Much of Jocasta and Sifo's friendship seemed to mirror Sev and Dooku's own, which Dooku found somewhat reassuring, as he'd lately been questioning more and more if he had gotten into forbidden attachment territory.  
  
Which was not to say that Dooku did nothing forbidden. Early into their friendship, Sev had shown Dooku how to sneak onto the rooftop of the Jedi Temple, which was strictly off-limits to padawans. One night, after a particularly grueling Makashi duel that went overtime, the sixteen-year-old Dooku was in his room beginning his nightly meditations, and one of the panels of his ceiling slid open, with Sev sticking his face out. "Psst," Sev whispered. "Up here."  
  
It was past curfew, and they would be sneaking onto the rooftop again, which was bad at any time, but especially at this hour. Dooku would also have to shield the activity from Yoda; indeed, he justified any visits to the rooftop as learning how to practice his shielding, from Yoda and other Jedi moving around the Temple, "a skill that might save someone's life someday." Dooku still felt a small pang of guilt about it, but he also wanted to spend more time with Sev doing something other than duelling, even if he enjoyed duelling.  
  
Dooku nodded, and watched as Sev dropped down a rope. Dooku climbed off his bed, took the rope and climbed as Sev pulled him up. When Dooku was through the panel in the ceiling, Sev closed the panel and they got up quietly, walking to the stairwell that led to the attic.  
  
Dooku hated Coruscant - though he'd only been six when he left his homeworld, and his childhood there had been miserable and the Jedi Order a bit of a rescue, he nonetheless held fond memories of Serenno itself, the forest and the sea. Coruscant was thousands of stories packed together, air pollution and light pollution. Dooku never understood why the Jedi Order had decided to build a Temple on a world where the Living Force was so congested. He knew Sev felt the same way; though Sev's first six years were spent on Corellia, which wasn't much better, neither of Sev's parents were Corellian and Sev knew a lot about his parents' homeworlds, which he desperately wanted to visit someday, especially Yllen. Yet, despite the distaste Sev felt for Coruscant, he still managed to find pockets of beauty in the ugliness of urban decay, and share the magic with Dooku. The rooftop of the Temple was one of those magical places, where they managed to see Coruscant's four moons and some stars despite the light pollution, in addition to the excellent panoramic view from the Temple roof.  
  
They sat on the roof for awhile, just enjoying what they saw, in companionable silence. After they'd been there for some time, Sev leaned on Dooku's shoulder, and took his hand.  
  
"I'm going on my first mission," Sev said.  
  
"Oh? When?"  
  
"In five days. Master Aboru and I are going to Dowut."  
  
Dowut was in the Core, but about as far as one could get from being a typical Core world while still in the Core. It was a frozen planet covered in tundra, home to large predatory beasts that were known to kill Dowutins. For a first mission Dowut was still not as dangerous as some of the worlds in the Mid Rim or Outer Rim, but it was dangerous enough. Through their Force bond Dooku could feel Sev's excitement; Dooku himself felt concern.  
  
When Sev and Dooku got back to the panel for Dooku to drop down into his room, they lingered for a moment. For the first time, Dooku initiated a hug. Sev returned the embrace, squeezing him tightly, patting his back.  
  
"I'm not gone yet," Sev said.  
  
Dooku didn't know what else to say. He pressed his forehead against Sev's, and Sev's hands slid up from Dooku's back to cup his face. Sev's hands were warm, and it felt like they were made of light.  
  
The next few days, Sev and Dooku were nearly inseparable, parting only when it was time for curfew or for individual training with their respective Masters. On Sev's last night before his mission - Sev and Master Aboru would be departing for Dowut in the early evening the next day - Dooku asked Yoda and Master Aboru if Sev could spend the night. He was aware some Masters didn't want their padawans doing this, so he had concerns he'd get a no and a lecture about attachment, but Yoda and Aboru agreed, seeing no harm in an innocent activity.  
  
After dinner Sev and Dooku retreated to Dooku's room, to watch a holomovie, and then Yoda told them lights out. This wasn't entirely enforced - Dooku slept with a nightlight, which he'd insisted on since being a small child, still haunted by things he'd experienced on Serenno. Across their Force bond, Dooku felt Sev fidgeting in the blanket pile on the floor, uncomfortable.  
  
"Here," Dooku said, patting the space next to him in his bed.  
  
Sev climbed in next to him, and for a few minutes they lay there side by side, just looking at each other in the blue glow of the nightlight but not saying anything.  
  
At last Sev spoke. "I'm really nervous about the mission."  
  
Dooku wanted to say _I'm nervous for you, I'm afraid you won't come back, and it would hurt so much to lose you_but he didn't want to feed into Sev's anxiety. He felt he needed to be reassuring instead. He put a hand on Sev's shoulder. "It will be all right," he said. "Master Aboru wouldn't take you on this mission if she thought it was beyond your capabilities."  
  
Sev nodded. "I know. It's just... a lot could happen. A lot could go wrong."  
  
"A lot could go wrong just venturing out into the city," Dooku said, "but I have faith in you. Not even faith, because faith requires believing in something that cannot be proven and may not exist, and I have seen your strength in the Force. You will do well."  
  
Sev squeezed Dooku's hand. "Thank you."  
  
Sev closed his eyes and tried to meditate to sleep, but Dooku could still feel his tension and agitation in the Force, and it was affecting his own ability to drift off. Sev finally opened his eyes and scowled. "Dammit, this is like the last shit I need when I'm supposed to be well rested."  
  
"Is there anything I can do?" Dooku asked.  
  
"Well..." Sev bit his lip. "Sometimes when I'm feeling really tense I, uh." He looked down and gave a little sheepish laugh and then looked up, not quite meeting Dooku's eyes. "I jerk off to relieve stress."  
  
"You what?" Dooku didn't understand.  
  
"Oh man. So uh, you ever get hard? Down there?"  
  
"...Yes." Dooku immediately felt awkwardness, but somehow wasn't going to ask Sev to drop the subject. "Over a year ago, the first time I woke up... like that... I went to the infirmary, thinking something was physically wrong with me. The healers told me it was an involuntary physiological response and I could just meditate to make it go away. So when it happens..."  
  
"You meditate. But that doesn't always take care of it really, does it?"  
  
"No," Dooku said truthfully.  
  
"And sometimes it hurts when it doesn't take care of it."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Sev nodded. "I, uh... touch myself when it happens."  
  
"Does it help?"  
  
"It does." Their eyes met. "I could go in the fresher to relieve myself, but I'm used to doing it laying down. I won't if it'll bother you, though."  
  
Dooku just wanted Sev to feel better. "You can take care of that here."  
  
Dooku tried to look away, to give Sev a little privacy, but he couldn't help looking when Sev took his cock out of his pajama bottoms and began stroking it, slowly, then faster. The sight of Sev playing with his cock made Dooku's own cock harden in response, and in the glow of the nightlight, Sev could see Dooku's hard cock tenting his pajamas.  
  
"It's OK if you do it too," Sev said.  
  
"I've never done that before," Dooku admitted.  
  
"It'll feel good," Sev said.  
  
Dooku pulled out his cock, and took it into his fist, tugging on it like Sev was doing. It did indeed feel good, and felt better the more he did it. Soon they were both shivering, panting, eyes riveted on each other's cock - watching Sev play with himself fueled Dooku's excitement, and across their Force bond Dooku could feel that Sev was enjoying being watched, and watching him, as well.  
  
Sev's cock made a rattling sound in his hand as he worked himself fast and furious, the rest of him tensed. He had been fisting the sheets with his free hand, and all of a sudden, his free hand reached out to Dooku's bare hip. It was just a touch, but the skin-on-skin contact set Sev off, and Dooku watched as Sev's cock began shooting cum. When Sev's cock spurted onto Dooku's cock, Dooku was hit by his own release, gasping for breath as the pleasure throbbed through him. He watched his cock spurt onto Sev's cock, and Sev shot more cum, letting out a little whimper. Feeling Sev's cock shoot on his again made Dooku tremble, and they let go and just held each other, quivering.  
  
Dooku closed his eyes and the entire world seemed to melt, his entire body seemed to melt, dissolving into a sea of light. He felt Sev's Force energy entwined with his, continuing to throb together, and then at last there was just bliss. They opened their eyes and looked at each other. Sev gave him a lazy smile, and reached out to touch Dooku's face. "Thank you," he said.  
  
An hour before Sev's mission departure the next day, Sev and Dooku hugged for a long time - a hug they didn't want to exchange in the spaceport of the Temple, in front of other Masters and padawans. Dooku felt himself getting hard again at the feel of Sev in his arms, but when he was back in his quarters, he tried to distract himself, until he couldn't, and ended up stroking himself as he had done last night, thinking about Sev stroking his cock, thinking about what it would be like for the two of them to stroke each other. After his climax, he broke down weeping, not just because he missed Sev, but because he knew what he was feeling, and wanting, was against the Jedi Code.  
  
A good padawan would talk to their Jedi Master about it and receive correction, but Dooku didn't want to discuss this sort of thing with Yoda, who was fond of lecturing him "luminous beings are we" and thought it was a bit of an indulgence to let Dooku eat food humans were more used to eating, when he could technically survive on insects and rice. Yoda was at least understanding of the need for Dooku to have a friend, and he had concerns Yoda would cut that off completely. Dooku also didn't want to tell Master Thoril about it, or any other Jedi Master. What he did instead was visit Jocasta Nu, who had a predictable routine of working in the Jedi library, ambitions of becoming a librarian when she became a Jedi Knight.  
  
"Hello, Jocasta," Dooku said.  
  
"Yan." Jocasta smiled warmly. "How are you?" She frowned a little. "Sev went on his mission to Dowut, yes?"  
  
Dooku just nodded.  
  
"You already miss him, don't you?"  
  
Dooku nodded again. Then he said, "Can we talk somewhere more private?"  
  
They found a far corner of the library, in a section with subjects less popular. There were still a couple of seats, and they sat across from each other.  
  
"What's bothering you? It's not just missing Sev, or worrying about the mission." Jocasta folded her arms.  
  
"I need..." Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need to be able to tell you something in confidence. Basically, I need you to talk me out of something, without also deciding I need to be reported to Master Yoda or another Master."  
  
"Well that depends on what it is. You're not thinking about murdering anyone, are you?"  
  
"No." Dooku laughed.  
  
"All right."  
  
Dooku took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Severin. I know it's forbidden by the Jedi Code. I know that if he returned those feelings, and we acted on them, we could get into a great deal of trouble as Jedi. I need you to admonish me to stay on the right path and not let my emotions rule me, to overcome this attachment."  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Yan."  
  
Dooku scowled. "Why not."  
  
"Because I'd be a hypocrite." Jocasta gave a sad smile. "In confidence... I feel for Sifo the way you feel for Sev. And Sifo feels the same way."  
  
"Oh." Dooku's jaw dropped. "Oh, my."  
  
"And..." Jocasta wrung her hands a little, before folding them neatly onto her lap. "We've tried to be good Jedi, and fight those feelings, but we can't."  
  
"Shit." Dooku sat back in his chair.  
  
"Does Sev know?"  
  
"I haven't told him."  
  
"I think it's pretty obvious, regardless. And I think he shares your feelings. I see the way the two of you look at each other."  
  
"This is bad," Dooku said. "This is a one-way ticket to AgCorps. This is potentially the lives of millions, because there is one less Jedi Knight to defend them..."  
  
"Yan... it only is if other people catch you."  
  
Dooku raised his eyebrows. "Do you not care about the Jedi Code? They forbid us to do these things for a reason -"   
  
"Do you actually think it's a good reason?" Jocasta put her hands on her hips. "Do you know why the Jedi Code is the way it is? I know you're a history buff, but how much have you gone back into Jedi history?"  
  
"I've read about Revan, and the way his attachment to Bastila Shan made him fall to the Dark Side -"  
  
"Oh no, my friend, this goes back way before Revan." Jocasta leaned forward. "Thirty thousand years ago, the Je'daii Order was formed on Tython. Approximately nine thousand years after its inception, there was a civil war and it splintered into the beginning of the Jedi Order. In the last days of the Je'daii, there were Je'daii humans who lived to be as old as Yoda, with no bio-enhancements of any kind. They were that strong in the Force, descended from many generations of Force sensitives. The prohibition on relationships in the Jedi Code was formed, putting it bluntly, to keep the population of Force sensitives in check. It has nothing to do with attachments _actually_ being wrong, or we'd be re-educating the whole Galaxy to lead celibate lives as we do, and procreate only by cloning."  
  
"But. We are told that attachments can make us make poor decisions, our judgment clouded by acting out of love rather than reason -"  
  
"And there are plenty of Jedi who have made no attachments and still made poor decisions."  
  
Dooku got up, and acted on his sudden urge to flee, feeling irrationally attacked. Before he could get too far, Jocasta called out, "It's your life, Yan. I won't tell you what to do. But I know that if you shove this under the rug and try to hide it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."  
  
For the next week that Sev was away on Dowut, Dooku avoided Jocasta, and indeed, kept to himself as much as possible, only dealing with Yoda and Master Thoril when he had to. He spent much time meditating, trying to will his feelings to go away, but the more Sev was away the more it hurt, the more he ached for him.  
  
And yet, when Sev was back on Coruscant, safe and sound, Dooku felt too awkward to be around him, as much as he'd missed him. He avoided Sev too, until three days after Sev's arrival, they were in Makashi class with Master Thoril, and Sev was especially aggressive, giving him lightsaber burns that needed bacta. Sev had been learning first aid, and he applied the bacta rather than walking Dooku to the infirmary. Sev's touch made Dooku hard again under his robes, and Sev noticed.  
  
"We need to talk," Sev told him, when they had time alone in the training room, after Master Thoril had gone back to his quarters.  
  
"There is nothing to talk about."  
  
"There is everything to talk about."  
  
Dooku looked away, and Sev cupped his chin and pulled Dooku's head back to look at him. "Yan," he said, his voice husky. "I missed you so much."  
  
"I was afraid you wouldn't come back," Dooku said, and then he added, "and I was afraid of when you would come back."  
  
He started to sob. He cried harder for feeling ashamed of it, to be like this in front of a fellow Jedi padawan...  
  
...but Sev understood, and took Dooku's face in his hands. Their foreheads pressed together, and then, somehow, Sev's mouth was on his, and the feel of those full, soft lips made Dooku melt, his own lips parting, yielding to him. They kissed, like they'd seen in holofilms, but so much better.  
  
And then Dooku pulled back. "We can't do this," he said.  
  
"Do you not want to do this?"  
  
"It's not a case of me not wanting it," Dooku said. "This is forbidden -"  
  
"Has it ever occurred to you that just because the Jedi Code says something, doesn't mean it's right?" Sev folded his arms.  
  
"But it's the principles that have guided the Order for generations -"  
  
"And the Order has made a lot of mistakes. You know there are organized crime gangs on Dowut, there's even slave trafficking, and the Republic looks the other way? And Master Aboru's response is _we shouldn't get involved_? Please tell me again how our feelings for each other that we can't help is bad, and this is somehow OK?"  
  
"Because emotions can lead to the Dark Side -"  
  
"We take children," Sev said, "we teach them emotions are bad, and we arm them with lightsabers. I could argue that Dark Side actions such as murder are easier to perform when you're taught not to care."  
  
Sev had some points, and Dooku hated it. He sat back down.  
  
"We have needs," Sev went on, "and making ourselves deny those needs does not make us better Jedi. It does not make us more empathetic to people in the Galaxy who are out there suffering, because we feel like you can just meditate it away, you can just think yourself better, and real life doesn't work like that. How are we supposed to care about protecting citizens of the Galaxy, people who have partners and families when we don't allow ourselves to have these things ourselves? If we ever have to fight the Republic's wars, don't we need something to fight for, other than abstract ideals of justice and virtue? We need something to come back to, something to stay alive for, something to give us strength. And hope." Sev's eyes locked with his. "The entire time I was on Dowut, scared because of the things I was seeing... I thought of you. I told myself, _I am going to come back to Yan._"  
  
Dooku initiated the kiss this time, and Sev kissed him back, and soon they were writhing together on the floor of the training room, trousers down, robes up, rubbing their hard cocks together as they kissed and kissed, one last hard kiss as they exploded, cock creaming cock, the sight of their cocks shooting together making them come harder.  
  
"I love you," Sev said as they lay there, wrapped in each other's arms.  
  
"I love you." Dooku stroked Sev's face. "I'm afraid one wrong step -"  
  
"We'll be careful." Sev kissed the tip of Dooku's nose. "We can make this work."  
  
  
_  
  
In the present, as seventeen-year-old Qui was coming out of the library, twenty-seven-year-old Dooku was coming in. They both paused in their tracks and just looked at each other.  
  
Dooku put a hand on his padawan's shoulder. "Let's go to Sev's quarters and you can spend some time with Obi-Wan."  
  
Qui wasn't going to say no to that; he simply nodded.  
  
Obi-Wan was doing research for a writing assignment when Dooku and Qui arrived. Obi's face lit up when he saw Qui, and then he frowned when he saw the scowl on Qui's face.  
  
"Obi, why don't you take Qui in your room?" Sev asked.  
  
Obi nodded, and gestured for Qui to follow him.  
  
Obi reassembled his holocron and tablet on his bed, and Qui took a chair across the room, still scowling. Then Obi shook his head and patted a space on the bed. "Here," he said.  
  
Qui reluctantly came over, and after a minute of him quietly stewing, Obi couldn't focus on his work and sat up to put his arms around him. "Rough day, I take it," Obi said.  
  
"Quite," Qui replied.  
  
Obi started rocking him a little. "You want to talk about it?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
A moment passed, and then Qui sighed and said, "All right." He touched Obi's forehead, and let him see mental images of his day - as importantly, let him _feel_ the frustration that had been building. When the mental images passed, Qui confessed, "I feel like a failure. I feel like I'm not cut out for this."  
  
"Oh, Qui." Obi shook his head. "You're not at all. Master Dooku didn't say that, did he?"  
  
"No, he didn't. He told me I'm improving. But in the grand scheme of things, if I succeed one out of ten tries, that's still nine times I fail. That's still nine times I didn't get the job done. And that's just in the meditation room. Out there, in the Galaxy, if I'm on a mission and I fail the same way... people can die. Or worse. I..."  
  
"Qui-Gon." Obi's eyes met his. "Listen to me."  
  
Qui glared, but he listened.  
  
Obi stopped holding and rocking Qui, and took his hands. "Has it occurred to you that Master Dooku makes you train like this precisely because you're not a failure? Precisely because you are very strong in the Force, especially the Living Force?"  
  
"I don't feel like it on days like this."  
  
"But you are. A lot of things come easily to you. And we've seen this be a pitfall for some of our peers - they get overconfident, they overestimate their capabilities, and that leads them to make poor decisions. Master Dooku is helping you to avoid that trap. I also feel like in challenging you, when you do succeed... it's making you stronger. Not just in your abilities, and mastering them, but also showing you that when you struggle, when you falter... you can try again. Which is important to learn."  
  
"I get all of that, but does it have to be to this extreme?"  
  
"It will be even more extreme out there," Obi said.  
  
"I suppose you're right."  
  
"It feels more frustrating to you than it normally would be because it's Dooku. You respect him but your personalities are so different that you feel he doesn't understand you very well... and now that we're about to become legal adults, there's that additional feeling of not wanting to be under his authority anymore, and we've still got another three years to be Knighted."  
  
"I hate that you're right."  
  
"Maybe you could take a step back and try to be more understanding of him, and less critical of yourself. He's doing what he thinks is best for you, and it is making you a better Jedi."  
  
"It still sucks."  
  
"It does." Obi patted Qui, and then stroked Qui's face. He smiled, showing dimples, and Qui couldn't help but smile back, at last. "But you know what this means? I get to cheer you up."  
  
With that, Obi stole a kiss, gentle, sweet and lingering. Qui kissed him back, their mouths opening, tongues playing together, both of them moaning into the kiss as it deepened. Qui found himself pushing Obi onto his back. They were both already hard, tenting their Jedi robes.  
  
They continued kissing, and Obi didn't stop Qui as he fumbled with Obi's belt, then pulled down Obi's trousers and underpants, exposing the hard cock. Qui was fascinated by the sight of Obi's ginger bush, and reached to caress it, and the feel of Qui's fingers playing in his pubes made Obi cry out. With trembling hands, Obi tried to take down Qui's trousers as well, but he was shaking too much, and Qui had to undress himself, laughing at Obi being too far gone to remove an item of clothing. Once they were naked from the waist down they resumed kissing, hard cocks rubbing together.  
  
"I don't know what to do," Qui rasped between kisses, "but I know what feels good."  
  
Soon Qui was kissing Obi's neck, speeding up the pace of grinding against his cock. Their balls were slapping together, and they were dripping precum down each other's shafts; on instinct Qui took his cock with one hand, and Obi's cock in the other hand, and rubbed just the heads together, making them kiss, both young men groaning as they watched the precum oozing from their slits, joining together in one strand that dripped down both of them. Obi kissed him harder, and Qui rubbed faster.  
  
"This is so good," Obi panted. "I don't ever want it to end..."  
  
But the rubbing was so intense that their balls were achingly tight, needing relief, and at last they couldn't hold back, taking each other's hands and crying out into a deep kiss as their cocks shot off together, continuing to rub through their orgasm, both of them loving the feeling of cock coming on cock, hot cum gushing down their shafts, over their balls.  
  
Qui rested his head in Obi's chest; Obi kissed the top of Qui's head. They snuggled like that until Sev knocked on the door. "Dinner," Sev called.  
  
They hastily pulled their bottom garments back on and stumbled out to the living room, stealing little sly glances and snickering. They tried to wear more serious expressions when they caught Dooku giving them a look, but then the amused look on Sev's face made them lose it.  
  
"What kind of mischief are you two up to now?" Dooku asked.  
  
"I don't know if we'd call it mischief," Qui said, looking at Obi, smirking, looking down.  
  
Dooku raised an eyebrow.  
  
"We kind of, uh." Obi cleared his throat. "Did it."  
  
"If I'd have known," Sev said, "I would have let you guys borrow our lube -"  
  
Qui and Obi made synchronized Wookiee noises, not wanting to be reminded of their Masters' sex lives. "We didn't need it," Qui said.  
  
Sev made a face. "A dry fuck for your first time sounds painful."  
  
"What? There was no pain," Obi said.  
  
Dooku was no longer chewing his mouthful of food, his eyes wide, looking like he no longer wanted to be in the same room as them. Sev patted Dooku's knee, and then he cocked his head to one side. "You guys didn't fuck, then?"  
  
"I'm not quite sure what you mean," Qui said.  
  
"Yeah, of course not, because we've never had this talk." Sev facepalmed. "I mean, uh." It was less of an awkward subject for Sev than it was for Dooku, but Qui and Obi could tell it was also awkward for Sev, and watching the usually bold, outspoken Jedi Master get flustered about something was as amusing as it was uncomfortable. "What did you guys do? Just asking all clinical-like here."  
  
"We uh." Qui and Obi looked at each other, and Obi swallowed hard. "Er."  
  
"We rubbed together," Qui said.  
  
"Ah, OK, so you didn't go all the way," Sev said.  
  
"There's an all the way?" Obi raised his eyebrows.  
  
Sev just nodded. "What you guys did was sex, but it wasn't, like, _sex_ sex."  
  
The look Dooku shot Sev at "_sex_ sex" made Qui's sides hurt with silent laughter, that turned not silent when Dooku gave him the same glare.  
  
"Could we have this discussion some other time when I'm not trying to eat?" Dooku snapped.  
  
"Yeah, let's, uh, make an appointment for discussion," Sev said. "Actually..." He pulled out the small infopadd he kept clipped on his belt, and brought up a holocalendar. "So your eighteenth birthday is coming up in two weeks, and we've got a lot happening over the next few days... how about we have The Big Talk a week from now?"  
  
Qui and Obi looked at each other, and nodded.  
  
Qui couldn't resist what came next. "We can have the talk talk, about sex sex."  
  
"You." Dooku stopped chewing his food again, and the irate look Dooku gave him with his mouth full of food made Qui spit his.  
  
Sev was laughing so hard now he was snorting. Dooku turned to him and said, "You know..."  
  
Sev patted him again. "I know."  
  
Dooku did something he hadn't done since they were padawans - he put Sev in a headlock and gave him a noogie. Sev's response was to use the Force to collect rice from the rice cooker in a ladle and bring the ladle over behind Dooku's head and fling it all over him.  
  
Dooku got up, and the next thing Qui and Obi knew, Sev and Dooku were using the Force to throw food at each other. When Sev's chocolate pudding made its way onto Dooku's head, that was it and Dooku began chasing Sev around the flat, with Sev laughing and screaming. Qui and Obi attempted to shield Sev, but that just resulted in them getting facefulls of chocolate pudding from Dooku using the Force. Sev jumped on the couch and over it, and Dooku leapt over the couch like a track runner leaping over a hurdle, and Sev went into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of whipped cream, shook it, and sprayed it all over Dooku. Dooku snatched it with the Force and sprayed it all over Sev, and then pushed him up against the fridge, with Sev still laughing hysterically, and pinned Sev's arms, holding Sev's wrists in place, as he started to lick whipped cream from Sev's face. Soon the two were kissing passionately, and Qui and Obi began making vomit noises...  
  
...which resulted in the can of whipped cream spraying the rest of its contents all over them.  
  
Later, when they were back in Obi's room, snuggling, Qui said, "I've never seen Master Dooku be like that."  
  
"I've never seen him like that either," Obi said.  
  
"Can you imagine? As strict as he is now... he'd be far worse if he didn't have Sev."  
  
Obi nodded. "They need each other. I think they help each other be better Jedi." Obi squeezed Qui's hand. "We need each other."  
  
"I love you, Obi-Wan." Qui brought Obi's fingers to his lips and kissed them.  
  
"I love you too."


	4. Chapter 4

The Djenge tower collapsed for the seventh time in a row. Qui yanked off his blindfold and threw it down next to the collapsed wooden blocks.  
  
"Padawan," Dooku said, "I didn't say we were finished."  
  
"Yeah, well, we're finished." Qui got up.  
  
"Qui-Gon, take a few deep breaths."  
  
"Fuck off," Qui yelled over his shoulder, before he banged out of the meditation chamber.  
  
With a sigh, Dooku used the Force to pick up the pieces from the floor and put them back in their container. He could feel Qui's agitation across their Force bond. Usually it made him reactive, feeling somewhat offended that Qui resented his teaching methods, but lately Qui's struggles had reminded him of his own at that age and that stage of his training under Master Yoda. In Dooku's case, it hadn't been that Yoda made him perform challenging telekinesis exercises - those things had never been challenging to him. Yoda knew that Dooku was fairly introverted and had a case of social anxiety, so Yoda started taking Dooku on missions that required Dooku to interact with foreign dignitaries and civilians, in many cases where a faux pas would mean the mission going badly. Dooku disliked it, though he eventually came to realize Yoda was trying to help him rather than confound him, and when he came to accept that, the missions became somewhat more bearable, though never his favorite. As a direct result of these experiences, determined to meet the challenges and succeed, Dooku began to study public speaking and would write speeches on various subjects.  
  
But even as he developed that skill, he still maintained that his strength was in hands-on skills such as combat - attacking soldiers turning on innocent, unarmed civilians, as he'd had to do several times now - or using Force Heal on the wounded, or Force Persuade to ease unrest and upset during crises, be the calm in the eye of the storm. He thrived on activities like rescue missions, where delicate, intricate telekinesis such as the work of rearranging blocks on the Djenge game, blindfolded, could mean the difference between life and death for dozens, hundreds, thousands.  
  
When the Djenge blocks were put away, Dooku left the meditation chamber. His feet took him to Sev's quarters. The door was unlocked, and he let himself in as he'd done many times before. Then he saw Qui and Obi on the couch, and the irritated look Qui gave him before Obi pulled him up and dragged him off to his room, made Dooku want to hide under a rock, feeling shame. _I wanted to challenge him, not break his spirit._  
  
Sev's eyes met his. _I wouldn't say you've broken his spirit... yet._  
  
Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.  
  
"Sit down, Yan." Sev sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him.  
  
Dooku sat down, looking at the floor - feeling even more ashamed, now - and then Sev cupped his chin and moved his head so Dooku had to look at him.  
  
"So," Sev said, "he came in here hysterical, crying, screaming. We _just_ got him to calm down."  
  
"Oh dear." Dooku frowned.  
  
Sev nodded. "I'm gonna be really blunt with you - this needs to stop happening. It's upsetting to my padawan, it's upsetting and stressful for _me_, and love you though I do, it is not _my_ job to clean up _your_ shit."  
  
Dooku opened his mouth to reply, and Sev said, "Aaaaaaand before you tell me that you'll talk to him about better self-control... you need to stop setting him off like this."  
  
Dooku took a deep breath. He looked down again, and Sev snapped his fingers. "Eyes up here," he said. "We're not going to solve this by you beating yourself up or mentally running away."  
  
"No," Dooku said. "But it doesn't change the fact that I feel terrible, and I'm at a loss as to what to do. Maybe we should exchange padawans -"  
  
"No." Sev shook his head. "Even if that was allowed, we had a discussion about this six years ago, where we decided that the boys would be better served with Masters who were a bit different than they were, considering how much Qui-Gon is like me and Obi-Wan is like you. But we did that to challenge them with different perspectives, different points of view. Where you're going wrong is that you're continually reinforcing his weaknesses rather than building on his strengths. It's one thing to get someone to develop self-confidence by showing them they can do something they didn't think they were capable of doing. What you've been doing, lately, is trying to get Qui on your level of doing certain things when it's clear _he can't do them_ and he would be better off focusing on the things he _can_ do and _is_ good at. What you've been doing in trying to 'challenge' him like this, putting it bluntly, is forcing Qui to become another version of you... and that's not him. That _shouldn't_ be him."  
  
"You're right." And then, Dooku broke down crying. He felt even more ashamed - _Counts of Serenno do not cry or complain_, and of course this was unbecoming of a Jedi... but here he was, weeping like a hurt, frightened child.  
  
"Oh, Yan." Sev pulled him close, held him tight, and began rocking him. He cradled Dooku's head into his chest and pet his hair. "Let it out, love. No good in holding it in. Let the tears flush the wound."  
  
Dooku cried harder, and Sev continued rocking and petting him, making little soothing noises.  
  
"I care about him," Dooku sobbed, "and it was never my intention to hurt him. I've wanted to be a good Jedi Master... he has so much potential and he could go so far..."  
  
"Yes, he has a lot of potential. He can go far... doing the things that he's good at, doing the things that nourish his soul. I'm not saying you can never make him do something he doesn't want to do again, because yes, life is full of times when we have to do things we don't want to do but they still need to be done... but it's time to stop making him do things like Djenge and let him do things like spend more time in the greenhouse, channeling the Living Force, because the more he works on his strengths, those strengths will grow stronger. Otherwise you're stifling that potential."  
  
"I'm so sorry..." Dooku wept some more.  
  
"It's not me you need to apologize to, Yan."  
  
"But I do." Dooku picked up his head and looked into Sev's eyes. He reached out to stroke Sev's face, his beard, run his hands through Sev's unruly mane of dark curls. "Because I broke a promise to you."  
  
  
_  
  
  
Nineteen-year-old Yan Dooku had been three weeks back from his most recent mission on Anseras, a Mid-Rim planet, and would be returning there with Yoda in another fortnight. He had written an impassioned plea to the Prime Minister of Anseras to do something about the refugee crisis, which he had seen up close and personal, and had been haunting him; natural disasters had forced a large number of citizens to relocate to another continent on the planet, where they were facing discrimination and in some cases violence, and many were working as a form of slave labor, but in a way that got through loopholes in Republic laws on safety. When Dooku returned with Yoda to Anseras he would be giving that speech before the Prime Minister and his cabinet, in the hopes that it would make an impact.  
  
He was practicing that speech on Severin.  
  
Sev sat through the speech, listening, and when Dooku was finished, he asked, "What do you think?"  
  
"I think you make a compelling case," Sev said.  
  
Dooku waited.  
  
"It's one I happen to agree with," Sev went on, "but, I'm not the one you need to convince."  
  
"Well, yes." Dooku nodded; Sev had a difficult and tense relationship with Jedi Master Aboru because of Sev's own concern for justice and relief, and Aboru's by-the-book way of doing things which limited what Sev could do on missions.  
  
"And therein lies the rub." Sev leaned back and folded his arms. "You are hoping to back up those words with a little push of Force Persuade, and instead, as you gave that speech, I could feel in the Force that even though you believe in your subject matter and you feel strongly about wanting to help these people... you would rather do anything but give this speech."  
  
There it was. Dooku knew that even as much as Sev loved him and was his greatest source of support, Sev would also always be brutally honest with him, not afraid to argue with him if he felt a challenge or correction needed to be made.  
  
"You can feel that by virtue of our Force bond," Dooku said. "I don't have a Force bond with the Prime Minister and his cabinet; I doubt any of them are even Force sensitive."  
  
"The Force is all around us and it affects even people who can't use it," Sev said. "People can be influenced with Force Persuade without being Force sensitive... people can also be affected by empathy, whether or not they understand that's what they're picking up on. And your resentment at having to play diplomat and make that speech instead of doing more hands-on relief efforts, is something I can feel very strongly. If anyone you're giving that speech to can feel even the slightest tinge of how much you hate doing this, you don't have a single hope of convincing them of what you're saying."  
  
Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose and sat down beside Sev, who patted him.  
  
"I don't know what else to do," Dooku said. "This is what Master Yoda expects of me."  
  
"Yan," Sev said, "we're looking at being Knighted in two years. This is the turning point where we start thinking about what we're going to do when we're not padawans anymore. You've already said to me many times you would rather be a Guardian than a Consular. Now you need to tell that to Yoda. You can hand your speech over to a Consular, and push Yoda to let you do the work of a Guardian, backing up those words with action."  
  
"It isn't like he doesn't know I hate this," Dooku said.  
  
"It's one thing for him to know, and it's another thing for you to demonstrate it. Has it occurred to you that maybe part of your journey here is to be able to challenge his authority and say no? You've told me about Serenno, and how since you were a child you were conditioned to obey, and do what was expected of you. You've told me about _some_ of the shit you went through, before the Jedi took you." The look Sev gave him at the word "some" indicated that Sev knew there was far more than what Dooku had told him... what Dooku had been able to tell him, pain he could not even begin to quantify with words. "Maybe the Force is telling you here, the healing process involves you finally standing up for yourself."  
  
Dooku sighed and rubbed his face. Sev patted him again, then put an arm around Dooku and pulled Dooku's head onto his shoulder; they were at the waterfall in the Gardens, where such action was likely to not be observed.  
  
"I don't know if I can do this," Dooku said.  
  
"Yan." Sev cupped Dooku's chin and tilted his face so their eyes met. "You can do this, and you will. If you would take a stand for other people in the Galaxy, it starts by taking a stand for yourself. If you would help other people get where they need to be, you must first do that for yourself."  
  
"Says the padawan who is constantly obstructed by his own Master."  
  
Sev laughed out loud. "I at least come by that honestly, I stand up for myself and what I think is right which is why Aboru and I argue so much. I'm surprised I haven't been hauled off to AgCorps."  
  
"I'm relieved," Dooku said.  
  
"You, though." Sev poked the tip of Dooku's nose, and then kissed it. "The last speech you write... should be the one that tells Yoda you're done with just making speeches." He grinned.  
  
Dooku gave a smile in return. "You know what?"  
  
"What."  
  
Dooku stole a kiss. "You talk too much."  
  
"Says the guy who just gave me an hour-long speech." Sev kissed him back.  
  
"If we're talking about serving our purposes..." Dooku's finger traced Sev's full lips, before kissing him again. "That pretty mouth of yours is better for kissing."  
  
"It's better for something else, too."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Sev's grin got bigger, and Dooku watched as Sev got on his knees before him. Sev leaned forward, and hiked up Dooku's Jedi robe, and worked on undoing his trousers. This wasn't the first time they'd been in an amorous mood at the waterfall - it was an ideal place for their secret trysts. But it was the first time Sev had ever taken Dooku's cock into his mouth; before today, Dooku didn't even know people did this. It had just been their hands, or their cocks rubbing together.  
  
The sight of Sev's lips wrapped around the head and then the shaft, swallowing it down, was as erotic as the sensation of Sev's mouth sucking him. The suctioning was even better than the grip of a fist, wet, soft...  
  
...and then Sev began moving his tongue, with his mouth full, kissing the head of his cock, tongue lashing the throbbing veins of the shaft, and the sweet spot just below the head. Dooku watched, moaning, as Sev took the cock out of his mouth and just began licking it, slow, deliberate strokes of his tongue, paying special attention to the prominent frenum. Sev made a show of licking the slit, collecting the precum with his tongue, letting the precum make a trail. When Sev's tongue dipped inside the foreskin and began rubbing there, Dooku shuddered, losing it a little, but it felt too good to completely lose control just yet. Dooku shuddered again, crying out as Sev's lips were back around the head of his cock as his tongue continued to swirl.  
  
Then Sev took the cock out again and licked it some more, before sticking it back in his mouth and taking it as far as he could go, swallowing it down to the hilt. Sev gagged a little, and Dooku worried that he was choking his lover, but Sev managed to get his gag reflex under control and try again, and again. And soon he wasn't gagging at all, but his head bobbed up and down, Dooku's cock in and out of his mouth, Sev's head going faster and faster, his mouth sucking hard, tongue continuing to play as much as it could. When Sev's hand reached to cup and massage Dooku's balls, he felt his balls tighten even more and knew he wasn't going to last much longer, but _Force_, he never wanted this to stop, trembling, panting as the lust and pleasure mounted higher and higher. At last Sev's padawan braid was in his hand, Dooku pulling on it like a leash as he thrust into Sev's mouth, balls slapping Sev's chin, not able to help it. He could feel across their Force bond that Sev loved that, and he loved that, being serviced, Sev so willing.  
  
At last Sev looked up at him, into his eyes. The heat in Sev's gaze was what undid him, and he cried out as he spent into Sev's mouth. He cried out again as he felt Sev slurping it up, the additional sucking through his orgasm making him come harder, even more sensitive, and he loved knowing Sev was drinking him and enjoying it. He groaned with satisfaction as he watched Sev lick him clean, twitching and gasping at the aftershocks produced by Sev's tongue.  
  
Sev came up to kiss him, letting him taste himself. "How was that?" he husked.  
  
"That was... incredible." Dooku stroked Sev's face, and kissed him back, soft and sweet and lingering.  
  
"Good." Sev smiled, and nuzzled him. "I've been wanting to do that for awhile."  
  
"Really?" Dooku raised his eyebrows. "Where did you even learn..."  
  
Sev laughed. "I've seen things on missions. No, I haven't done anything with anyone else, just you. But there's people and places that are far less restrictive than here." Sev kissed him again. "There's lots of other things we can try."  
  
"Other things?"  
  
"Mmmmm." Sev kissed him again. "Many ways for us to love each other, man to man."  
  
Dooku's curiosity was piqued... but his most immediate curiosity was the hard-on he felt poking against his leg. Sev had found giving oral pleasure to be arousing, clearly, and Dooku didn't want to be selfish; he wanted to please Sev back. And the thought of taking Sev's cock in his mouth and doing the same to him was making him harden again.  
  
As Dooku got on his knees and returned the favor, he found he liked giving as much as he liked receiving, if not more. He loved the way Sev responded to him, the noises he made, the look of pleasure on his face, the beautiful joy and wonder. He liked the feel of Sev's cock in his mouth, finding sucking to be a strangely soothing act; he loved the sweet musk of Sev's scent and the tang of his precum. When Sev lost control, thrusting into his mouth, panting, gasping, he loved the feeling of power, turning Sev from a peaceful Jedi into a wild animal. The salty sweetness of Sev's cum flooding his mouth was a delicious reward, as was the feeling across their Force bond of Sev's throbbing orgasm, bringing Dooku into that shared space where everything was the Light and nothing hurt.  
  
Dooku was rock-hard again, and it didn't take long for him to get Sev hard again, the two kissing passionately as they lay on the grass and rubbed their cocks together. Writhing, moaning, their hands roamed over each other's Jedi robes, and Dooku had the urge to just tear them off, to be naked with Sev in the grass. He didn't, but the mere thought of Sev naked, and feeling his bare flesh, brought Dooku close to the edge, and closer when Sev started kissing and licking his neck. When they were grinding hard and fast enough for their balls to start slapping together, it only took a few slaps for Sev to cry out as his cock shot a load of cum, and watching and feeling that cum spray onto his own cock made Dooku come, coming harder with the sight of Sev's cock bathed in his seed.  
  
They kissed deeply, and lay tangled in each other's arms, sated for now. Dooku felt himself drifting off and came to a short while later with a butterfly flittering on his nose. Sev laughed, and the butterfly flew off. Sev kissed the tip of his nose where the butterfly had been, and rained kisses over his face, before Dooku claimed his mouth.  
  
"I love you, you know," Sev whispered.  
  
"I know." Dooku kissed him again. "I love you, very much." He took Sev's hand and kissed it, before squeezing it and pressing it to his heart. "Thank you."  
  
"It was my pleasure," Sev said, grinning.  
  
"Not just _that._" Dooku smiled. "Before that. You're right, and I've... been putting this off too long."  
  
Sev nodded. Then he said, "I want you to make me a promise."  
  
Dooku raised an eyebrow.  
  
"We see the flaws of the Order, and we hope that we can influence the next generation to be better, do better. That won't happen if we're repeating the mistakes of the old. And when someone is so burnt out from doing everything but what they actually need to be doing... when that flame is extinguished... there is the Dark Side. Don't let your padawan get to this same point, when you eventually have a padawan, don't let him or her struggle this hard, suffer this much." Sev stroked his face. "Promise me, Yan."  
  
"I promise."  
  
Sev kissed him again. "Good."  
  
  
_  
  
"So you see, I broke that promise," Dooku said.  
  
"It's not too late to fix it," Sev said.  
  
"Is it? The damage has already been done -"  
  
"-Damage that you can repair," Sev said, "if you start now."  
  
"I don't even know where to begin." Dooku started crying again, feeling like he had let everyone down.  
  
Sev pulled Dooku's head back into his chest, squeezed him, and started rocking him again, petting his hair, rubbing his back. "I think you and Qui need to talk, obviously. And then you need to back up that talk with some kind of action. Something that shows you're willing to let him start forging his own path, and you're also going to _support_ him and _stand by him_ as he's doing this."  
  
Dooku picked his head up, rubbed his face, and considered. "He is very strong in the Living Force, as you know, and their birthday is coming up, as you know."  
  
Sev nodded, with a little eyeroll. "Obi's been asking if we're going to go anywhere for his birthday, I told him I don't know yet." Sev patted him. "There's an idea. We could take them somewhere together... someplace where the Living Force is very strong. Preferably, somewhere that isn't a complete disaster zone or hostile to the Republic, so we can just enjoy ourselves for a week or so. But where..."  
  
"Hmmmm."  
  
Then Sev's eyes lit up. "I remember all the times you've told me about Serenno. Not just the bad stuff, but the good memories you have. How beautiful it sounds there from your description."  
  
Dooku nodded. "The Living Force is quite powerful there, indeed."  
  
"So, why don't we go to your homeworld for a few days?"  
  
"We could do that, but." Dooku frowned. "As you know, Serenno holds old wounds for me. And there is the matter of House Dooku. I am at the age now where if I'm showing my face on Serenno, even if my brother continues to hold the Count title... they expect me to have an heir. Obviously, having children isn't going to happen..."  
  
Sev cocked his head to one side. "Does it have to be blood? Can it be adopted?"  
  
"It could be adopted. It would be unusual, but there is legal precedent for it."  
  
"I think there is no better way to show Qui you love and support him than by making him your son, for real."  
  
Dooku nodded and cried again, and Sev kissed his tears. Then Dooku saw Sev's own eyes were full of tears. "You could have two sons. I know Obi admires you very much."  
  
"They should have two fathers." Dooku kissed Sev's forehead. "We would have to keep this a secret from the Order, of course... but will you marry me?"  
  
Sev threw his arms around Dooku's neck and kissed him hard, and laughed through his tears.  
  
"Is that a yes?" Dooku asked between kisses.  
  
"Maybe." Sev smirked.  
  
Dooku glared.  
  
"Yes, you fool, it's a yes." Sev laughed and kissed him again.  
  
They rocked together, then, holding each other, nuzzling. "So, we'll find some official excuse to go to Serenno and take the boys with us," Sev said, "and we'll get married, and you can claim Qui and Obi as your sons."  
  
"That sounds like a plan." Dooku said. "But I must talk to Qui about it... and right now there's a chance he may not want this at all."  
  
"You'll only find out if you talk to him, so you should do that."  
  
"After dinner, perhaps." Dooku patted Sev as he stood up. "I'll cook, since you've had the stress of taking care of everyone else, you just relax for now."  
  
_  
  
After dinner, Dooku had Qui take a walk with him in the Temple Gardens. They didn't say anything for awhile, at first because Qui was still angry, but the peace and the beauty of the Gardens calmed him and soon enough, he was ready to sit down on a bench by the fountains and talk.  
  
"I have some news for you," Dooku said.  
  
"Am I going to AgCorps?"  
  
"No, padawan." Dooku frowned. "And I'm sorry that it has even gotten to this point that it's the first thing you ask."  
  
Qui gave a small sigh of relief.  
  
"We are going to Serenno for your birthday... Sev and Obi-Wan are coming with us."  
  
"Your homeworld," Qui said.  
  
"My homeworld." Dooku nodded. "The Living Force sings there... it is something you will appreciate."  
  
"I'm sure." Qui looked down.  
  
Dooku motioned for Qui to look up at him, and met his eyes. "I want to take you there not just for your birthday, but as a gesture... that I am ready to stop pushing you so hard, and start letting you focus more on your strengths, rather than making you try to overcome your weaknesses. I have been misguided - I thought that pushing you would help you learn self-confidence as you master skills you didn't think you would... but when you repeatedly try and you simply cannot, you feel like a failure. But it is not that you are a failure, it is simply that you have other gifts, and it is time that I stand by you as you develop these gifts. I have been too hard on you, and I am sorry. I should have made this decision a long time ago, and I am sorry. I thought that Yoda's method of training was the tried and true way, and have been a Jedi Knight long enough, and busy enough in those years, that I'd nearly forgotten how much it hurt in the last years of my apprenticeship, especially when I had to confront him and tell him I am cut out to be a Guardian, not a Consular. You have not failed me, padawan, I have failed you, and I am deeply, deeply sorry, and I hope that in our trip to Serenno, where you can focus on communion with the Living Force, this will be the first step in being a better Master, helping you to become the Jedi Knight that I know you can be."  
  
Qui just stared at him, stunned. His mouth opened, but no sound came out, unable to speak.  
  
Then Qui just nodded, and cried. Dooku embraced him, and he cried too, and the sight and feeling of his Master crying made Qui cry harder, and Qui crying harder made Dooku cry harder. Any Jedi passing by would criticize them for letting their emotions get carried away, and Dooku didn't care; his own inner critic got vocal again, reminding him _A Count of Serenno does not cry or complain._  
  
Dooku spoke back to it with Sev's words. _...we hope that we can influence the next generation to be better, do better. That won't happen if we're repeating the mistakes of the old._ and _If you would take a stand for other people in the Galaxy, it starts by taking a stand for yourself. If you would help other people get where they need to be, you must first do that for yourself._  
  
_We need this,_ Dooku thought to himself.  
  
"There's more," Dooku said.  
  
He pulled back and put his hands on Qui's shoulders. "House Dooku will expect me to have an heir. As you know, this is not biologically possible, with circumstances being what they are... but I can adopt an heir. I would like to claim you and Obi-Wan as my heirs. My sons. I don't want to just try to be a better Master to you... I would like to be a good father, but only if you say yes. I will understand if there is too much bad blood -"  
  
"Yes." Qui hugged him tight, crying some more, and Dooku sobbed with relief.  
  
When they could cry no more, they walked back to their quarters, where Sev and Obi had come over and were getting ready to spend the night there.  
  
"You told him?" Sev asked.  
  
Dooku and Qui nodded.  
  
"Good," Sev said, smiling, "because I told O-"  
  
Before Sev could finish the sentence, Obi did something unlike him, running up to Dooku to give him a big hug. Dooku hugged him back, laughing, and affectionately tousled his hair and tweaked his braid before Obi had an attack of shyness and dignity and pulled away, clearing his throat.  
  
"So then," Qui said, grinning, "your first act as our fathers should be giving us The Talk. As they say on holocoms, the birds and the bees."  
  
Sev and Dooku looked at each other, and stopped smiling. "Er," Dooku said.


	5. Chapter 5

Dooku and Sev sat down. They looked at each other, then looked at Qui and Obi, then looked back at each other.  
  
Sev said, "Well, see," just as Dooku cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, and then Sev gestured to Dooku. "Go ahead."  
  
Dooku shifted uncomfortably in his seat. On the one hand, he knew his padawan was becoming a man and he wanted to encourage Qui and Obi's relationship, and intimacy was good for them as it was for him and Sev. On the other hand, he'd known Qui-Gon since he was a child, and sometimes found it hard to reconcile the nearly-eighteen-year-old man with the small boy he'd once been, especially since in his heart of hearts he thought of Qui as being his son. No parent wanted to know details about their children's sex lives, and it was difficult to advise on such matters. Yet, they were in the Jedi Order where access to information on sexuality was downright prohibited - even when the Jedi were allowed to watch holomovies and holoseries, there was an "approved list" that limited "mature" content. What Sev had learned of sexuality, and taught Dooku, had come from observances on missions and contraband material; same with Jocasta and Sifo. The only way Qui and Obi were going to learn was with them helping, somehow.  
  
Dooku started with saying, "As you know, you have a penis..."  
  
"No way," Qui-Gon said.  
  
"This is completely new and shocking information," Obi-Wan snarked.  
  
Dooku glared at both of them. Qui gave an innocent grin that wasn't innocent at all and Dooku glared harder; harder still when he heard Sev snickering. He shot Sev a look and Sev grinned and patted him.  
  
"And as you know," Dooku went on, "your penis gets hard..."  
  
"That's two and we've just started," Qui said under his breath.  
  
Dooku folded his arms. "Two what."  
  
"Two 'as you knows'." Qui smirked.  
  
"You're keeping count."  
  
"You're the Count, you're questioning me counting things?"  
  
"_You know..._"  
  
"They know." Sev patted him again, and when Dooku glared at Sev again, Sev responded by poking the tip of his nose.  
  
"Where was I," Dooku muttered.  
  
"Right, so your cocks get hard," Sev said, "and you've probably already figured out that if you don't take care of it somehow your balls will hurt. You mentioned that you've rubbed them together... you can also use your hand, or each other's hands, and stroke to a release. You can also use your mouths, sucking on each other."  
  
"Mouths? Aren't you afraid of accidentally biting it?" Qui asked.  
  
"With practice you should be able to figure out how to keep your teeth from grazing too much, unless of course your partner likes you using your teeth, but most don't. The gag reflex is more of a concern - even a small one is a lot to take in your mouth, but again, with practice you should be able to learn how to relax your throat and not gag. Blowjobs come pretty naturally to guys, since we have the same equipment and we know what feels good." Sev folded his hands. "When the ejaculation happens, it'll be in your mouth unless he pulls out in time, and if it's in your mouth you decide whether to spit or swallow. Some people don't like the taste and that's OK. Some people do like the taste, as well as the intimacy of tasting those fluids."  
  
Qui and Obi looked at each other, obviously thinking of practicing this as soon as possible. Dooku shifted uncomfortably again, and Sev patted him again.  
  
"So, uh," Qui said, "you had mentioned fucking, and us being allowed to borrow your lube. What is that, then? It's not anything else you've mentioned so far, is it?"  
  
"No, it's not." Sev looked at Dooku, and Dooku looked at Sev. "You want to...?"  
  
Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he said, "Er."  
  
"Uh," Sev said.  
  
"I. Uh." Dooku didn't know how to describe the act to them without feeling ridiculous. "Well, that would be when you, uh..."  
  
Qui and Obi looked at them expectantly; Qui made a "we're waiting" gesture and raised his eyebrows.  
  
"When he puts his thingie in my you-know-what," Sev said.  
  
Obi fell over laughing, and Qui just said, "What," and Dooku began making Wookiee noises. Sev wheezed, unable to go on. He tapped Dooku's shoulder and said, "You're gonna have to explain this."  
  
Dooku rubbed his face, made another Wookiee noise, and said, "As you know, you have an anus..."  
  
"I DID NOT KNOW THAT," Qui said sarcastically, and Obi rolled on the floor, and Qui doubled over, and Sev was starting to snort from laughing so hard.  
  
Dooku quietly glared until everyone calmed down, then he sipped his tea, still giving an irate glance over his tea glass. He took a moment to compose himself, and he said, "The penis can penetrate orifices, like a vagina... or like an anus."  
  
"You mean... it's not just there for stuff to come out of? Stuff can go in there?" Qui raised his eyebrows.  
  
"It stands to reason that if something can go out, something can go in, yes, and it's how men can penetrate other men," Dooku said.  
  
"Isn't that... dirty?" Qui asked.  
  
"Not if the receptive partner cleans out first," Sev said.  
  
"And doesn't it hurt?" Obi asked.  
  
"Truthfully," Sev said, "the first time, or the first couple of times, it may hurt a bit when it's first going in, as you're being stretched. You can prepare each other with fingers first, or even tongues - it won't taste bad if you've cleaned up first - before putting a cock in there, and that'll help loosen it up too. And this is what lube is for - it's easier going in when it's slippery. When the one penetrating is pushing in, the one being penetrated will want to push out, kind of like you're going to the bathroom, except you're not because there should be nothing there if you've cleaned out, it's just using the same muscles and that will help it go in. Take deep breaths and if it hurts, remind yourself it won't hurt very long, because once it gets going... in humanoid males there's a part up there called the prostate, and when it gets stimulated it's very, very pleasurable, enough that the receptive partner should be able to have an orgasm - a release - from it as well."  
  
"And you're speaking from experience," Qui said, looking at Obi with a look of intrigue, then at the Jedi Masters with a look of discomfort. "Both of you have...?"  
  
Sev and Dooku looked at each other.  
  
"I've penetrated Severin," Dooku said, "but he's never penetrated me."  
  
"Why not?" Qui asked, though he didn't entirely want to know.  
  
Dooku and Sev looked at each other again, and then Sev said, "Some people like penetrating and being penetrated, some only want to be penetrated, some only want to be the one doing the penetrating. It's a matter of preference." Sev left it at that, even though it was more complicated than that.  
  
"But if it feels good, wouldn't you both want to...?"  
  
Dooku shifted in his seat again, and though Dooku had never gotten into his full personal history with Qui, his padawan felt enough of a twinge across their Force bond to realize something had happened to set the roles the way they were, and he dropped it. Sev, picking up on that twinge, took Dooku's hand and kissed it, before squeezing it, holding it in his lap. Dooku patted Sev, and Sev nuzzled him.  
  
"So it's the act of penetration that many consider to be going 'all the way'," Sev said, "and it's the intimacy of the act - one being inside the other, two joined as one flesh - that really creates the biggest impact on the Force bond. You guys have probably already noticed your connection getting stronger as you've messed around, but it will really hit a point of no return if and when you take that step, and it's important you be really, really sure." Sev looked at Obi, then looked at Qui. "It becomes a lot harder to shield from each other emotionally and mentally, once this happens... not just in terms of emotions, but what the other is thinking. You will no longer really be able to keep secrets from each other, so I suggest if there's anything either of you are hiding from the other, you talk about it before you take that step, so there's not a rude awakening the next day."  
  
Qui and Obi looked at each other, and nodded. "All right."  
  
"I'd also suggest some time mentally and physically preparing yourselves," Sev said. "Like even if the idea of going all the way turns you on a lot and you want to try it tonight... it might be a good idea to work your way there, get more and more used to the idea, which will further help reduce discomfort and tension and thus reduce pain the first time. You can play there, with your mouths and fingers, get used to it, build up to it, have something to look forward to. It's just a suggestion, not a demand, but it might help."  
  
"Thank you," Qui said. "Is there anything else?"  
  
"That should be all," Sev said. "We'll get you guys some lube."  
  
Qui and Obi ran off to Qui's room, giggling, but also relieved to be done with the awkwardness of that discussion. Dooku himself let out a small sigh of relief.  
  
"Thank you for handling that," Dooku said. "I simply... couldn't..."  
  
"I know," Sev said. He rested his head on Dooku's shoulder. "You tried. I know the subject isn't just difficult because that's your kid, more or less, but also because..."  
  
Dooku nodded. He closed his eyes, trying to blot out the memory.  
  
Sev picked his head up and pulled Dooku close, stroking his hair, his face, his whiskers. "Are you very sure you want to go to Serenno? We could take the boys somewhere else..."  
  
"No, I need to do this," Dooku said. "Not just for them, but for myself." He looked up at Sev. "And for you. I want to be able to get closure, which will be better for both of us."  
  
"Healing takes time, it can't be forced."  
  
"No. But it is time." Dooku nodded.  
  
  
_  
  
  
After an afternoon of lightsaber sparring, nineteen-year-old Sev took Dooku back to the quarters he shared with Master Aboru, for tea. When they arrived, there was a note from Aboru on the kitchen counter letting Sev know she'd gone out in the city for a few hours to run some errands. Sev's face lit up after he read it, and the two young men decided to skip tea altogether and kissed all the way to Sev's bedroom.  
  
They quickly undressed - Sev laughed as Dooku used the Force to neatly fold their robes and trousers - and they climbed on the bed together, feverish, hands roaming as they kissed again and again. Sev liked that Dooku had a hairy chest and arms and legs, and he set to work nuzzling the fur, licking it, spending time on his sensitive nipples, until Dooku was trembling, arching to him, panting, in heat for his beloved.  
  
Sev kissed his way down Dooku's stomach, to his thighs, licking and nibbling them, and then back up to the stomach, tracing the definition in the abs with his tongue, then his tongue followed the dark treasure trail to the bush. Sev buried his nose in it, breathing in Dooku's scent, before he took Dooku's cock into his mouth, meeting his eyes the entire time. The heat in Sev's gaze made Dooku shudder, and he reached out to stroke Sev's hair and face, give the sensitive pointy ear a little tug, making Sev moan with his mouth full.  
  
Sev had sucked him enough times now that he was a professional at it, knowing what he liked, able to undo him very quickly... except when he was in a teasing mood, sucking slowly, lots of licking, like he was today. Dooku gripped the headboard, white-knuckled, almost howling at the sweet, delicious torment of Sev's talented tongue rubbing all over his shaft and balls. When Sev took him back in his mouth, sucking just the head - kissing it - as his hand rubbed the shaft, Dooku heard himself moaning "Please, please," not sure what he was begging for.  
  
Sev stopped, and Dooku gave a little whimper of protest. Sev came up to kiss him, and Dooku had to fight off the urge to grab Sev's padawan braid and push him back down to finish the job. Sev, sensing his frustration and urgency, laughed between kisses, as he took their hard cocks together into his fist and stroked them slowly. Sev's free hand ran through Dooku's chest hair, lingering on a nipple, lazily rubbing it, and then Sev moved his head to lap the nipple, give it a tug between his teeth, before sucking hard.  
  
"Dammit, Sev..." Dooku felt ready to explode, loving it but needing so badly to come.  
  
"Mmmmmm." Sev kissed his neck. "This is making me crazy too."  
  
Sev kissed him deeply, and then let go of their cocks and pulled back. Dooku watched as Sev adjusted his position, laying on his side so his head was between Dooku's legs, and Dooku's head was near Sev's cock. When Sev took Dooku's cock back into his mouth, Dooku rolled onto his side and took Sev into his mouth. It was the first time they'd ever sucked each other at the same time, and they loved it - Dooku's lust for Sev's cock made the pleasure that much more intense for him, and he reveled in the sounds Sev made with his mouth full; he liked making Sev lose it, driving him wild with sensation.  
  
It wasn't long before Sev was thrusting into his mouth, and he could taste Sev's precum. He cupped and rubbed Sev's balls, knowing how much Sev loved that, and the way Sev whined made his own cock throb with urgent need. Sev sucked him harder and faster, and Dooku groaned around Sev's cock. His free hand moved to caress the perfect smooth bubble of Sev's ass, squeezing the tight firmness of it, and Sev kept whimpering, shivering at his touch.  
  
_I want to taste you,_ Dooku told him in the Force. _I want to drink you, my love..._  
  
"Mhmm, mhmmmmm," Sev moaned, Dooku's cock sliding in and out of his mouth.  
  
_Come in my mouth. Let me swallow every drop._  
  
Sev screamed with his mouth full, trembling as he gave Dooku what he wanted, flooding his mouth. There was so much cum Dooku almost choked on it, flowing out of the corners of his mouth down his chin. He greedily swallowed as much as he could, and the taste of Sev's seed - the feeling of Sev's climax across their Force bond - triggered his own orgasm. "Mmmmmmmm," Sev moaned as he slurped up Dooku's cum; the suctioning of Sev's mouth made Dooku shake from head to toe, throbbing and throbbing, the climax so intense it almost hurt.  
  
Sev continued to lap up the rest of Dooku's cum, licking him clean, and Dooku did the same to Sev, giving him aftershocks. Then Sev came up and they kissed deeply, savoring their tastes combined together. Sev rested his head in Dooku's chest, and Dooku pet him as their legs entwined and they coasted on the floating, glowing bliss.  
  
"I love you," Sev whispered.  
  
"I love you," Dooku said, smiling. He stroked Sev's face. "And I loved that."  
  
"Good." Sev kissed him again.  
  
"You'd said there are lots of things we can try... and I see that was one of them... I'm wondering what else you have in store."  
  
They kissed again, and their cocks started to harden once more. Sev rubbed Dooku's chest, fingers playing through the chest hair, and his free hand went down to stroke Dooku's cock a little, then gently massage his balls, making him moan. Sev grinned, the radiance taking his breath away.  
  
Sev kissed him and continued to play with his cock and balls, and then his fingers strayed to the sensitive place between Dooku's balls and ass, and Dooku gasped and cried out. Sev continued to rub there, smiling as Dooku trembled and moaned. But when Sev's finger brushed his opening and dipped inside, Dooku froze, a look of panic in his eyes. Sev immediately withdrew his hand and sat up. "Are you OK?" he asked, feeling the tension across their Force bond.  
  
"I, uh." Dooku cleared his throat. He closed his eyes, trying to fight the fear, but his mind took him down that spiral, and suddenly he wasn't in Sev's bed, at the Jedi Order... but back on Serenno, six years old, his mother's lover approaching the bed...  
  
Across their Force bond, Sev saw the flashback, and Dooku felt him seeing it, _feeling it_, and when he opened his eyes he saw the tears in Sev's own. Sev broke down crying. He pushed his head on Dooku's shoulder, wrapped his arms around Dooku, holding him tightly, rocking him. "I'm so sorry," Sev wept. "I'm so sorry..."  
  
"It's not your fault," Dooku said.  
  
"I didn't know... if I'd known I wouldn't have even touched you there -"  
  
"I know." Dooku nodded, trying to fight off his own tears, but they were sliding down his cheeks, silently. He rubbed Sev's head. "It's not something we've ever talked about."  
  
"I knew that you had a bad relationship with your parents, but..."  
  
Dooku took a deep breath. "House Dooku is one of the wealthiest houses on Serenno and my father, controlling several companies, was often away on business. My mother took different lovers while he was away, and one of them violated me. I tried to fight him off, but he was too powerful... until it happened a few times and one night I used the Force. I ended up killing him."  
  
Sev's mouth dropped open.  
  
"My mother never cared for me before this happened - my Force sensitivity, and inability to control it with lack of training, was a source of shame for her. And after this happened, she couldn't believe that I'd done something out of self-defense. She wanted to have me tried and executed for murder. She also disowned me and unnamed me, which is a rather serious thing in our culture. Before I could be sentenced, an older cousin called the Jedi Order to let them know a young Force sensitive needed to be picked up, and I was brought here." Dooku frowned. "The reason why I try so hard to be the best Jedi I can be is because they rescued me, and I feel I owe the Jedi my life. I hope that someday, nothing like this will happen to innocents in the Galaxy. But until there is justice for all, I want to be able to help the way the Jedi helped me."  
  
"Did they know you killed someone?" Sev asked.  
  
"No. That, no one knows, not even Master Yoda. You are the first one I've told." Dooku stroked Sev's face.   
  
Sev kissed his forehead. "I am so, so sorry that happened to you." He shuddered. "I also killed someone when I was six - I watched my parents and brothers be assassinated right in front of me and I managed to duck out of the way of the bomb and killed one of the assassins, with the Force. It still haunts me. My aunt and uncle, who took me in, treated me badly because of it, until the Jedi came and got me. But what happened to you..."  
  
"We each endured something horrible." Dooku took Sev's hand, and kissed it. "We share common wounds."  
  
"Yan." Sev pressed his forehead against Dooku's, their noses nuzzling. Sev's use of the name his mother took away felt, now, even more intimate and validating than before. "We don't _ever_ have to do that, or anything you don't want to do. I don't want to trigger you, or hurt you in any way. You can always tell me no if you don't like something or don't want to try something, and I will listen and respect that, because no means no. Your feelings matter to me. _You_ matter to me."  
  
"I love you," Dooku said. "Very much."  
  
"I love you." Sev kissed the tip of his nose. "With all that I am."


	6. Chapter 6

Laughing between kisses, Qui and Obi undressed on the way to Qui's bed. They grabbed onto each other as they tumbled onto the bed together, kissing deeply.  
  
For a moment they just lay there, smiling at each other; the look of love in Obi's blue eyes took Qui's breath away. The feeling of love across their Force bond made him ache, in a good way. And then it caught up with him - the acceptance from Dooku, that they would all be building a real family together... in secret, but still very real... something Qui-Gon wanted even more than becoming a Jedi Knight. The feeling of rightness, that so many things were _finally_ coming together and working out, hit Qui all at once, and the feeling of hope and joy - _allowing_ himself hope and joy - overcame him and made him weep.  
  
"Oh, love." Obi pulled Qui close, petting him. "Are you all right?"  
  
Qui nodded. He picked his head up and stroked Obi's face. "I'm all right, yes. Everything is finally all right now."  
  
"Well," Obi said, "apart from your Master's brain cells. I think having to give us that talk was a horror for him, and no doubt sensing what you and I were thinking about all that information."  
  
Qui smiled. "We'll have to give him something even worse." He pulled Obi in for a kiss and grasped Obi's already-hard cock, and the _Goddammit, Qui-Gon_ he heard across his Force bond with Dooku made him laugh out loud before he felt Dooku's shielding _shove_ in place, complete with a lock sound.  
  
"You are a brat to your Master," Obi said.  
  
"He deserves it," Qui said. "Though perhaps, somewhat less now." His free hand took Obi's, and kissed it. "You're going to be my adopted brother. That doesn't bother you?"  
  
"Hardly," Obi said. He kissed Qui and gave him a mischievous smile. "Actually... I rather like the idea. It feels... a bit naughty."  
  
"It does." Qui grinned at Obi, then he lowered his voice and said, "And you're a very naughty boy, liking that."  
  
Obi shivered, and when Qui kissed his neck, he shivered again and moaned. Qui felt Obi's cock throb in his hand and he began to stroke it slowly, as he kissed Obi's neck, enjoying the discovery of Obi's reactions, the way it made him arch and whimper, precum already dripping down his shaft. "My," Qui said. "You're such a naughty boy that you even like being told how naughty you are, don't you?"  
  
"Fuck..." Obi let out a whine when Qui kissed the sweet spot where the neck meets the shoulder, and then Qui took a little nibble and Obi cried out, bucking to him. "Please, Qui-Gon..."  
  
"Please what?" Qui smirked.  
  
"Please..." Obi couldn't even make words, just whimper. Qui reveled in the loss of control, the way Obi was so fully in heat and they'd only just started.  
  
"Use your words, Obi-Wan." Qui resumed kissing his neck, one hand continuing to stroke Obi's cock slowly, the other hand playing with his nipples; Qui kissed his way down and drew one into his mouth.  
  
"Oh, _fuck_!" Obi shuddered and gasped, and clutched at Qui's head.  
  
Qui lapped the nipple with slow, languid strokes, before suckling it again and then slowly licking around the aureole, before licking harder, faster. At the sound of Obi's moan, Qui took the nipple back into his mouth, and their eyes met. The look of wild, hungry desperation in Obi's eyes electrified Qui-Gon, sending a shiver down his spine, making his cock and balls twinge with need. But what he needed even more was that delicious surrender. Qui's mouth left Obi's nipple and he buried his face in Obi's auburn chest hair and nuzzled it, before he began licking it, bathing it, grooming the fur with his tongue like an animal. That drove Obi-Wan even wilder, writhing, panting, and Qui laughed softly, his hand leaving Obi's cock to massage his balls. Obi's howl made Qui's cock even harder, and it took Obi all his restraint to not grab a tube of bacta, lube them up and take him right there. He wanted to wait for _that_ when they were on Serenno.  
  
And he wanted to make Obi ache for it, to make him even more desperate than he was right now. _That_ would be fun. He grinned wickedly at his bondmate's torment, before his head turned to Obi's other nipple to give it the same treatment, licking it, rubbing his tongue slow and lazy, then fast and furious, suckling hard, lapping some more, aroused by the way the pink nipple peaked, like a little rosebud. He gave a playful tug with his teeth, Obi crying out and shuddering, before teasing with his tongue again.  
  
"They're so sensitive," Obi panted.  
  
"Mmmm, they are." Qui suckled again. "I like that." His finger and thumb rolled the nipple and rubbed as he kissed back across Obi's chest to lick and suck the one he'd paid attention to first. Obi moaned, and reached down to play with himself.  
  
Qui swatted Obi's hand away. "Did I say you could touch yourself?"  
  
"N-no..."  
  
"Naughty boys like you shouldn't get what they want right away. That turns them into brats."  
  
"You'd know all about being a brat."  
  
Qui kissed him hard, and then he kissed Obi's neck some more, kissing his way back down to the nipple to lick even more slowly than before. Obi screamed and almost sobbed. "Dammit, Qui..."  
  
"Should I stop?" Qui tugged with his teeth and suckled, before licking again, slowly.  
  
"Don't stop..." Obi shook his head vehemently. "Just... I need..."  
  
"Yes. You need." Qui kissed him hard. "And so do I." He lowered his mouth to Obi's nipple again and got back to work.  
  
Qui spent a good twenty minutes licking and sucking Obi's nipples, licking the chest hair, driving him wild, sensuously grinding his own hard-on against Obi's thigh, letting Obi feel how much he wanted him, how hard he was for him, how wet his cock was from precum. Qui teased and teased, savoring Obi's reactions. After twenty minutes Obi was screaming, and Qui put the index finger of his left hand to Obi's lips.  
  
"If you keep being that loud," Qui said, "someone down the hall might hear and come down and get us all in trouble. You don't want that, do you?"  
  
Obi shook his head, his eyes wide.  
  
With that, Qui stuck his index finger in Obi's mouth, and Obi sucked on it, the finger sliding in and out, Qui's cock throbbing as he thought of how Obi would look sucking on his cock. Qui put both his index and middle fingers in Obi's mouth, and Obi sucked them, moaning with his mouth full, and Qui nibbled on a nipple, licked hard and fast, almost out of his own mind with lust.  
  
The act of sucking Qui's fingers aroused Obi-Wan so much that he started stroking his cock again, not able to help it. Qui allowed him to stroke for a moment, inflamed by the sight, and then he slapped Obi's hand away again.  
  
"Didn't I tell you you weren't allowed to touch yourself?" Qui teasingly scolded.  
  
Obi just whimpered, giving him a sad puppydog face.  
  
Normally Qui couldn't say no to that face, but here and now it just put him even more in heat, which put him in an even more commanding mood. Obi watched as Qui used the Force to grab his belt from the floor, and once it was on the bed next to them, Qui used the Force to move Obi's arms, so his hands were grabbing the headboard, and then Qui used the Force to tie the belt around Obi's wrists. Obi squirmed a little, and Qui noticed the belt didn't come free, though Qui knew Obi could use the Force to untie the belt if he felt like it.  
  
Obi looked from the belt back at Qui-Gon, who stroked his face. "If you don't want this," Qui said, "just tell me and I'll untie you." He smirked. "But I think you want this as badly as I do, don't you?"  
  
"Even more badly," Obi breathed.  
  
"You want me to make you beg." Qui kissed him.  
  
"Fuck..." Obi shivered. "Please, Qui-Gon..."  
  
He was already begging. Qui's smile got bigger. "That's what I like to hear."  
  
"Please..." Obi kissed him. "Please, brother..."  
  
_Fuck._ Qui shuddered - he hadn't expected to like that as much as he did. His cock felt ready to explode, but they were still so far from where he wanted to be before he'd allow himself release, much more sweeter for prolonging it. When he masturbated, which he did often, Qui loved to edge himself again and again, coming hard when he'd let it go on and on. In his fantasies, he was always edging Obi with him, driving Obi out of his mind with need... like he was now.  
  
After some more nipple play, the rest of Obi's body called to Qui, and he kissed down to Obi's stomach. He traced the muscle definition in Obi's abs with his fingers and tongue, nibbled on Obi's navel, and kissed across to one hip, then back to the stomach, and over to the other. Qui kissed and licked down to Obi's thigh, nuzzling the reddish hair that grew - so much hairier than he was - before licking, kissing, and nibbling there. The response he got was even better than what he'd been expecting and Qui took his sweet time with the other thigh, licking even more slowly, kissing harder, Obi writhing against the restraints, arched to him, begging "Please, please..."  
  
"Please what?" Qui asked, kissing up the seam of the thigh, nuzzling Obi's ginger bush before licking that, too, savoring the scent and taste of Obi's musk.  
  
"I need to come..."  
  
"You think a naughty boy like you deserves to come?"  
  
"Dammit, Qui-Gon..." Obi gave a pathetic whine, one that made Qui's cock throb some more. Qui watched as precum dripped down Obi's shaft - his cock looked almost angry in its need for attention, the veins prominent. Not able to resist anymore, Qui's tongue trailed one of the veins, from the root of Obi's cock up to the head. His tongue lapped the slit leaking so much precum, and the taste of Obi's precum made Qui let out a "mmmm" before he drew the head of Obi's cock into his mouth, suckling hard, not able to help himself any longer.  
  
"Fuck!" Obi shuddered, and bucked against Qui's mouth.  
  
Qui sucked slowly, working more and more of the cock into his mouth. The gag reflex kicked in as the head of Obi's cock tickled his tonsils, and he had to take the cock out. But not wanting to neglect it, he just licked it some more, very, very slowly, from the head to the balls, licking and sucking on the balls, then back up the shaft, licking it all over, up to the head. He licked the head itself, kissed it, and his hand caressed the shaft as he worked on the head. Qui could tell Obi was trying very hard not to scream, just moaning, gasping, trembling. Qui was shaking too, and a trembling hand went up to play with Obi's nipple as he tried again with swallowing Obi's cock into his mouth.  
  
He gagged again, but instead of taking the whole thing out, he let it slide back a little bit, and then just took what he could, which was most of it. He sucked slowly, working his head back and forth, and after a few minutes of sucking he began to use his tongue as well. One hand played with Obi's balls and the other played with his nipples; Obi's balls got tighter, and when Obi kept panting "oh shit" Qui knew he was dangerously close.  
  
Qui took Obi's cock out of his mouth again and just licked the head, to tease him. Obi whined and cried out, "Please, please..."  
  
"Please, what?"  
  
"Please, let me come..."  
  
"Oh, I don't know." Qui gave the head of Obi's cock a few more licks, more slowly this time. "You've been such a naughty boy..."  
  
"Oh, fuck, please..."  
  
"The kind of naughty boy who _likes_ being naughty, and likes being told how naughty you are..." Qui licked even more slowly.  
  
"Fuck... _fuck_..."  
  
Qui smiled. "The kind of naughty boy who likes being sucked by his own brother." Qui collected Obi's gushing precum with his tongue, pulling back to let Obi see the way it made a strand from the head to his mouth, before he slapped the head of Obi's cock against his tongue and took the head into his mouth, sucking it, tongue working around and around the rim of Obi's foreskin.  
  
It sent Obi over the edge, and Obi cried out, "_Qui-Gon!_" as his cum filled Qui's mouth. The sweet, musky taste of it was indescribably delicious to Qui and he wanted to swallow as much of it as he could, but he almost choked on the volume of it, flooding, running down his chin. Feverishly Qui swallowed and lapped up what he could from the head dripping down the shaft, making Obi shudder with aftershocks.  
  
Qui used the Force to untie the belt, and Obi wrapped his arms around Qui, pulling him close, kissing him deeply.  
  
"How was that?" Qui asked.  
  
Obi rolled his eyes and laughed. "Do you even have to ask?"  
  
Across their Force bond, Qui could feel Obi's ecstasy, radiant, like the sun. He kissed the tip of Obi's nose. "I like to hear you say it."  
  
"That was incredible. Are you sure you've never done that before?"  
  
"Quite sure."  
  
Obi gave a small, shy smile, showing the dimples Qui loved so much. "Would... would it be all right for me to return the favor?"  
  
"Please do."  
  
With that, Qui climbed up and straddled Obi's shoulders, his cock in Obi's face. He watched as Obi guided it into his mouth, inch by inch. Obi gagged when most of it was all the way in, but he fought his gag reflex, sliding it back a little, and then he sucked on it hungrily, hard and fast, frenetically bobbing his head. When he began to rub his tongue with his mouth full, similar to what Qui-Gon had done when sucking him, it was almost Qui's undoing. He shuddered and gasped, and put his hands on Obi's head to steady himself.  
  
"You're so good at this..." Qui panted.  
  
_I aim to please._ Their eyes met, and the lust in Obi's eyes made Qui shudder again. _I can't wait to taste you._  
  
"Soon." Qui bit his lower lip. "Fuck... so close..."  
  
"Mmmmmmmm." Obi pulled the cock out teasingly, lapped up the precum, and licked his lips, giving Qui a naughty look, before he swallowed Qui's cock back down, almost to the hilt, and resumed his enthusiastic, hungry sucking.  
  
Through their Force bond, Qui became aware that Obi was stroking himself, aroused again from sucking Qui's cock. "Are you touching yourself again, you naughty thing?" he growled, aware the answer was "yes".  
  
"Mmm-hmmm." Obi took out Qui's cock and purred, "I want you."  
  
Obi stroked himself harder, and sucked even faster. The delicious mental image of Obi stroking himself, and the delicious sight before him of Obi's mouth full with his cock, hungry for it, sent Qui right to the edge. He held there as long as he could, shaking, moaning, but it was too much, and at the encouraging, urgent "_Mmmmmmmm_" Obi gave, Qui let go, throwing his head back and crying out as he spent into Obi's waiting mouth.  
  
Obi slurped it up, craving it, and his _passion_ for it made Qui come even harder, sending off another blast of cum into Obi's mouth. Then he felt Obi's cum shooting the small of his back, and the crack of his ass, and the feeling of Obi's cum dripping into his hole made Qui scream out as he spent again, steadying himself on the headboard to not collapse from the shockwaves of his orgasm.  
  
Somehow, Qui wound up beside him, resting his head in Obi's chest, nuzzling the fur. Obi pet him as he continued shivering from the climax, and then Qui just felt limp, like he was made out of jelly, melting into the bed. Obi smiled at him and Qui thought to himself that his smile was the most beautiful thing in the universe. Qui lifted up his head and nuzzled him, and gave him a sweet, gentle kiss.  
  
"Thank you," he husked.  
  
"Thank _you_," Obi said. "You taste wonderful."  
  
"So do you." Qui snuggled into Obi's shoulder. "You feel wonderful. Everything feels wonderful." He lifted up his hand, which felt warm and tingly, and he noticed. "I'm all shiny now."  
  
They were both glowing faintly, and the look of wonder on Obi's face was as beautiful to Qui as his smile. "I think I'm starting to understand what Sev says about this and our Force bond," Obi said.  
  
Qui had a sudden thought. Ordinarily he'd just want to lay there with Obi, cuddling, but he felt a strange surge of energy, and the urgency to _act_ on it. He sat up, used the Force to pull over his Jedi robes, and began dressing.  
  
"What happened?" Obi asked. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No," Qui said. He used the Force to bring over Obi's robes and dumped them on him, making them both laugh. "Nothing's wrong at all. I need you to... do something with me."  
  
They dressed and came out into the living room, where Sev and Dooku were cuddling on the couch. It wasn't quite yet their bedtime, and it wasn't quite yet padawan curfew hours, though soon it would be.  
  
"Master?" Qui asked. "Can Obi and I go to the greenhouse?"  
  
"I don't know, can you?" Dooku raised an eyebrow.  
  
Sev facepalmed, snickering. "Yan..."  
  
Qui huffed and rolled his eyes. "_May_ Obi-Wan and I go to the greenhouse."  
  
Before Dooku's admission today that he'd been misguided in how he'd handled Qui's training, and he wanted to endeavor to put Qui on the path of being true to himself with his strengths, Qui wouldn't have thought of asking this, because the times he'd asked to go to the greenhouse at this hour, only rarely had Dooku said yes, and most of the time it was telling Qui to study or meditate or do something else that didn't involve the greenhouse, and too often involved facets of training that Qui was less interested in, such as telekinesis work or the ever-dreaded lightsaber cadences. Qui wanted to trust in Dooku's promise, and this was the first step.  
  
Dooku nodded. "Yes, you may. You don't have much time, however, you'll need to be back by curfew- -"  
  
"We know." Qui had already taken Obi's hand and was dragging him towards the door.  
  
The Temple's greenhouse was not near the Gardens, where it would make the most sense, but was several wings away, closer to the infirmary. It was also generally restricted access, due to some of the more exotic flora there - Qui had a high enough grade from his botany class at the Academy that he was authorized, not just on his own, but could bring a guest with him, in this case Obi-Wan, with the caveat that he was responsible for the guest.  
  
It was nighttime in their part of Coruscant, and many of the plants were asleep, but there was a section of the greenhouse with night-blooming flowers, as well as flora that grew under ultraviolet lamps. These were in the back of the greenhouse and Qui led Obi there.  
  
"These are moon lilies from Yllen," Qui said, pointing to a shelf of purple lilies, speckled with cyan. The cyan speckles glowed at night, and Obi gasped at the sight of them.  
  
"That's beautiful," Obi said.  
  
"If you think that's something... we can make them dance."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It'll help them pollinate each other." Qui held out his hands, still glowing from the Force energy he and Obi had raised through their lovemaking. He held them over the lilies, like he was pushing them without touching them, and the cyan speckles on the lilies glowed even more intensely as they absorbed the Force energy from Qui's hands. They started to nod, one at a time down the row, then in unison, and then they began to sway, still nodding. Obi watched with awe as glowing blue dust floated out of the lilies into the air, and then coated the row of lilies, the entire flower lighting up like a lamp when it was coated with the dust of pollen. The lilies continued to nod and sway.  
  
Some of the pollen got on Qui and Obi, making their robes and hands and faces glow with cyan glitter. They laughed, and then Obi stopped laughing as Qui licked it off his face, before kissing him. It tasted sweet. Obi kissed and licked Obi's face and they kissed again, and some of the vines in the shelf across from them - another Ylleni species - reached out to wrap around them, like an embrace, sharing the loving, joyous energy. Obi grinned; it felt good to be alive.  
  
"It's amazing how plants respond to you," Obi said on the way back to Qui and Dooku's quarters.  
  
"I love nature, and it loves me right back, I guess."  
  
When they let themselves in the door, Obi asked Dooku, "Serenno is very strong in the Living Force, yes?"  
  
"Yes," Dooku said, nodding.  
  
"It'll be interesting to see what happens there," Obi said to Qui, who nodded.


	7. Chapter 7

Two days before they were scheduled to go to Serenno, Qui-Gon was bristling with so much excitement that he found it harder than usual to keep calm; he had a lot of energy to burn off. For once, Qui actually felt like lightsaber practice, though he asked Dooku if, in keeping with this new era of independence, he might be allowed to spar with Obi-Wan instead. Dooku granted the request, and smiled as Qui and Obi ran off to the training room together.  
  
Unlike Dooku who had been horrified and even slightly offended that Qui decided to learn a different lightsaber form than his, Severin was supportive of Obi-Wan's decision to take Soresu, the most popular form studied at the Temple for the last few generations. This also made Obi less reluctant to practice, and he rather enjoyed sparring against Sev, seeing how Soresu performed against Makashi. Duelling against Ataru was entirely something else, especially when something in Qui decided to show off for his bondmate and spar more aggressively than usual. After ten rounds Qui and Obi were tied, and worn out from the intense swordplay.  
  
They sat to catch their breath. "We should call it a day," Obi panted.  
  
"We could, but Master Dooku would say right about now that if this was an actual fight-for-your-life situation, giving up would be certain death."  
  
Obi raised an eyebrow. "For all of your complaints about Dooku, you still uphold a number of his teachings."  
  
"I do," Qui said, nodding. "I hate it less now that he's giving me more freedom."  
  
"Well," Obi said, "we're not fighting for our lives here."  
  
"No, we're not." Qui grinned. "But I do like watching you wield a lightsaber."  
  
Obi blushed, gave the shy yet radiant smile Qui loved so much, and looked down, bashful.  
  
"And," Qui went on, "seeing you wield a lightsaber makes me want to... do other kinds of lightsaber sparring with you."  
  
"Oh, my." Obi laughed. His flush deepened. "Qui-Gon..."  
  
"But," Qui said, "there are so many things I want to do with you, and have you do to me, that I can't decide. So if we spar one last round that will be the tie-breaker... if you win, I will service you first, and if I win, you will service me first."  
  
Qui watched as Obi-Wan's lightsaber ignited just shy of his throat.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" Obi asked, with a smirk.  
  
They fought even harder than before; the length of their battle was as long as the first ten battles combined. But as time went on, the big, sweeping, spinning, swinging theatrics of Ataru was harder to sustain against the more deliberate, precise Soresu, and Qui found himself being toppled over and given several lightsaber burns, and Obi used the Force to take his lightsaber, de-activating both of them with a smug, satisfied look on his face.  
  
"I guess that settles that," Obi said.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Obi helped Qui up, and helped him walk to Sev's quarters. Their first stop was the fresher. "Let's get your wounds cleaned up," Obi said, turning on the shower. He began to undress.  
  
Qui grinned, also undressing. "We're both cleaning up?"  
  
"No, we're having tea." Obi used the Force to remove the rest of Qui's clothing, impatient, and then shoved him into the shower, laughing as he stepped in behind Qui-Gon, closing the glass shower door behind them.  
  
It was their first time taking a shower together. The fresher quickly filled with steam from the hot water. Qui and Obi spent some time just holding each other under the water, kissing, running their hands over each other. When Obi's fingers grazed Qui's bicep and he gasped and flinched from the lightsaber burn there, Obi said, "Right," and used the Force to pull down his bottle of shower gel.  
  
Slowly, sensuously, Obi lathered Qui-Gon's body, starting with his chest - paying special attention to the nipples, rubbing, teasing - and then over his arms, hands trembling at the feel of Qui-Gon's muscles, larger than his own. His hands slid down Qui's arms and up again, over the shoulders, to work the soap into his back. Qui turned around for better access, moaning as Obi's hands kneaded the tension and soreness out of the knots there. Then he moaned again as Obi lathered his ass, squeezing the firmness, fingers brushing the crack and just outside his channel.  
  
Qui had taken lightsaber burns on his legs from their sparring, and so he put one leg up on the shower seat and Obi soaped it up, then Qui switched to the other leg. Though Obi's command of the Living Force was not as strong as Qui-Gon's, he nonetheless did what he could, channeling the Force into his hands, wanting to speed up the healing process of the wounds and soothe them. When it was time to rinse, they resumed kissing; Obi's hands were still tingling and warm, radiating Force energy, and the feel of them touching him all over made Qui tremble. He almost climaxed then and there when Obi grasped his cock and stroked it, slowly, the Force still pulsing in his hands. At Qui's moan and shiver, and the feel of him losing it a little, fighting off his release, Obi laughed softly.  
  
"Someone's ready," Obi purred.  
  
Qui kissed him hard, and then he nipped Obi's lower lip with a little growl. "Wasn't the terms of the tie-breaker that who won gets to be serviced first?"  
  
"It is," Obi said. "But it pleases me to please you."  
  
"Oh no, Obi-Wan." Qui kissed him again. "A deal is a deal." With that, Qui used the Force to lift up the bottle of shower gel and pour it over his hands, and then he got to work.  
  
Two could play at the Force-enhanced-touch game, and the feeling of the warmth of the Force and the way it made Qui's hands pulse, made Obi even more sensitive than usual. By the time he was lathered from head to toe he had to lean against the shower wall to steady himself, panting, whimpering, cock dripping with precum as much as it was dripping with soap. When Obi rinsed off, Qui's sense of mischief came out to play even more, kissing, licking, and nibbling Obi's neck; his own cock throbbed at the sound of Obi howling, the feel of him shaking, the urgent feeling of _heat_ across their Force bond.  
  
"Qui..." Obi let out a little cry as Qui kissed him hard, before kissing his neck again, kissing his way to the sensitive shoulder. Qui's fingers played with both of Obi's nipples at once, rolling, plucking, pinching, brushing in lazy circles. "Dammit, Qui-Gon..."  
  
"It was your idea to get me into the shower with you," Qui rasped, before taking a nibble at the sensitive place where the neck and shoulder met. "And I'm just giving you a prize a winner deserves." With that he got on his knees to draw a nipple into his mouth, suckling hard.  
  
"Fuckkkkk..."  
  
"Mmmmmmm." Qui gave the nipple a few licks, and sucked on it again. His tongue swirled around the aerole, and then he licked the nipple hard and fast, giving it a playful tug with his teeth before taking it back in his mouth. "You look so beautiful, all glistening wet..." He moved to the wet chest hair, licking it, tasting the lingering herbal notes of soap, and clean male musk. He turned his attention to the other nipple, with his fingers playing with the first one.  
  
"Qui-Gon..." Obi clutched his head, his hands quivering. "Qui... please..."  
  
"Please, what?" Qui sucked the nipple harder, then licked it slowly, laughing at what he could feel across their Force bond, Obi's mounting urgent need. "Don't you like this?"  
  
"I love this. Too much. Please... I need..."  
  
"Ohhhh. It seems you've remembered our deal, hmmmmm?" Qui kissed down Obi's stomach, and he nuzzled the ginger bush before he swallowed Obi's cock down to the hilt, meeting his eyes the entire time.  
  
Qui sucked him slowly, savoring the way Obi lost control more and more, until he was almost sobbing, not even able to form the word "please", whining incoherently, shivering against the shower wall. As lost as he was in teasing Obi, he became aware that they had been under the water for awhile and his fingers were getting uncomfortably wrinkled... so now was the time to try something that had been on his mind for several days.  
  
Qui took Obi's cock out of his mouth and said, "Turn around, Obi-Wan."  
  
Obi gave Qui a puzzled - and somewhat disappointed - look, but did what he said. Qui couldn't help smiling at the sight of Obi's perfectly shaped ass, a work of art if he ever saw one, a tight bubble from all of the conditioning he did with his training. Qui took a moment to just rub Obi's ass, and then he nuzzled the crack. Obi shivered and gasped. He shivered again and cried out as Qui's tongue pressed against the small of his back, and licked down into Obi's crack, stopping at the opening.  
  
Qui's tongue swirled around and around the outside of Obi's hole, and he could feel across their Force bond that just this was driving him wild, and he hadn't even started yet. Qui readied himself to fulfill his fantasy; he took a deep breath, and dipped his tongue into Obi's channel.  
  
He tasted only soap and skin, and let out an approving "mmmmm" as he began to work his tongue. He found Obi's prostate right away, the feeling of the nub inside him and Obi's cry of "Oh, yes, _right there_" as his tongue lashed it. Qui focused his attention on that, rubbing his tongue hard and fast. He loved the way Obi's knees buckled, the way he whimpered, as he was eaten; Qui reached down to stroke himself, his pleasure intensified by the sensations across their Force bond, feeling the sweet rubbing inside him as he devoured his mate.  
  
It wasn't long before Obi was bucking his hips, ass thrusting into Qui's face, fucking his tongue as Qui's tongue fucked him. With his free hand, Qui reached between Obi's legs, playing with the sensitive place between the balls and ass to tease him further. He slowed down the licking to completely torment him, laughing into Obi's ass as Obi howled and pleaded, shaking like a leaf. When he sensed Obi stroking himself with frustration, he reached up to slap the hand away.  
  
"You naughty boy," Qui growled. "I'm servicing you... not you servicing yourself."  
  
"Dammit, Qui-Gon..." Obi whimpered. "I need to come so badly..."  
  
"We'll get there." Qui plunged his tongue back into Obi's hole and gave a few more slow licks before speeding it up, licking even faster and harder than before.  
  
A few more minutes of that and Qui felt the pre-orgasmic tension building in Obi's body, coiling, ready to spring. His fingers continued rubbing the sweet spot between his balls and ass as he worked his tongue like a hurricane, now shaking his head from side to side as he licked. Obi's gasping and panting and moaning got more intense, and Qui savored the sounds while he could, knowing it would be over soon. He thought about slowing down again, and Obi reached into his mind -  
  
_Don't you fucking DARE._  
  
Qui laughed, and a few more strokes of his tongue and Obi climaxed just from that, not even having his cock touched, just the most intimate place inside him. "Qui-Gon," he cried out, shaking as his cum sprayed the shower wall. "Oh, _fuck_, Qui... _Qui-Gon_..."  
  
"Mmmmmmmm." Qui took a few last licks, enjoying the feel of Obi's hole twitching, pulsing. He withdrew his tongue and nuzzled the crack of Obi's ass, then slapped his ass. "Turn around."  
  
Obi did, and Qui lapped up the cum dripping from Obi's cock, giving him more aftershocks. When Obi was licked clean, Qui stood up and kissed him deeply, with Obi purring "mmmmm" at the taste of himself on Qui's mouth, the evidence of what they'd done.  
  
"We better get out of the shower," Qui said, showing his wrinkled fingers to Obi. Obi nodded and used the Force to turn off the water, and then Qui helped him out of the shower, out of the fresher, to the bed, using the Force to grab towels along the way.  
  
They lay on the bed, naked; Qui cuddled Obi and pet him, as Obi was still recovering from his powerful orgasm. After they'd been laying there a little while, Obi finally picked his head up and reached down to pet Qui's cock, hard and aching. "It's time to take care of you," Obi said.  
  
"Good." Qui grinned.  
  
"But first..." Obi produced a tube of bacta from his nightstand. "We have to finish tending your wounds."  
  
Qui lay there, purring at Obi's touch as Obi applied bacta to the lightsaber burns on his arms and legs. Once again, Obi pushed the Force into his touch, and this just made Qui's cock throb even more; Obi licked his lips at the sight of Qui's dripping precum.  
  
Once Qui's wounds were given a coat of bacta and bandaged up, Obi hungrily took Qui into his mouth. He was getting better with practice, not gagging so much; Qui moaned as Obi's head bobbed up and down, the sight of Obi's mouth full, the way he devoured cock like he was starving for it, bringing him right to that edge.  
  
But as long as he'd been waiting to come, Qui knew Obi wasn't going to let him off so easily - turnabout was fair play. Just before Qui could climax in Obi's mouth, Obi took out the cock and licked it slowly, making Qui clutch the headboard and moan, writhing, arching to him. "Obi-Wan..."  
  
"Mmmmmm." Obi's tongue lashed the slit, and Qui watched as Obi collected the precum with his tongue, before taking just the head into his mouth, kissing it.  
  
As Obi sucked on the head of his cock, tongue swirling all over it while he sucked, Obi's fingers began to caress Qui's balls, and then the sensitive place between balls and ass. Though Qui had been waiting for it, it was still a pleasant shock when he felt Obi's index finger push inside him, and he cried out when Obi found the prostate, rubbing it in slow circles.  
  
Obi took the cock out of his mouth and licked it again, eyes riveted on Qui's response. "Good?"  
  
"Better than good." Qui shivered. "Oh, Obi..."  
  
With a wicked grin, Obi moved down, and replaced the finger inside him with his tongue. Licking very, very, very slowly. Qui heard himself screaming, thrashing, the tension within him about to explode, pressure building and building. And yet, as badly as he needed to come, nothing had ever felt better than the slow rubbing inside him, and he wanted it to never, ever end - Coruscant could be on its way to destruction and all that would matter was that sweet, sweet tongue, that wild, hot excitement consuming him.  
  
But when Obi did finally speed up his tongue, Qui loved it just as much, if not more. Obi lapped hungrily, growling into him, and Qui thrust against Obi's face, still clutching the headboard, white-knuckled. "More, more..." he begged, almost ashamed of how he needed this, but _Force_, it felt too right to stop.  
  
Obi brought him close to climax, and then, again, left him at that edge. Qui whimpered with protest when Obi stopped licking, and Obi just gave a wicked grin and took Qui's cock back into his mouth. _I want to taste you_, Obi told him in the Force as he sucked hard and fast; his finger pushed back into Qui's hole and rubbed. Then there were two fingers, and Obi was rubbing even faster, harder.  
  
"Fuck..." Qui was gasping for breath now, nails digging into the wood of the headboard. "Obi-Wan..."  
  
_Yes, love. Let me taste you. Fill my mouth with your seed..._  
  
With a wild, wordless cry, Qui spent into Obi's mouth. He heard Obi make a choking, spluttering noise and he worried for an instant, but then he felt Obi's mouth suctioning, slurping as much as he could - intensifying his climax - and Obi's "mmmmmmmm" was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. Qui spasmed again and again, his toes curling as each wave of pleasure ripped through him. When it subsided, Obi came up to kiss him, deeply, and now it was Obi's turn to pull Qui-Gon close as Qui drifted, melting into the Light of the Force.  
  
He felt Obi peppering his face with kisses, giving a little smile in response, just before there was a knock on the door. Quickly, Obi used the Force to pull a sheet over them, and then Obi cleared his throat and said, "Yes?"  
  
Sev opened the door a crack and said, "I see you two have already eaten, but you guys want actual food now?"  
  
The Wookiee noise Dooku made all the way from the kitchen made Obi and Qui crack up laughing. Obi just nodded, and Qui made the OK sign with his hand. Sev gave a thumbs up before closing the door again.  
  
Qui and Obi got dressed; Dooku had been cooking in Sev's kitchen, and the table was set with several courses. They were all Serennian dishes, and it made Qui even more eager to get to Serenno - one thing he'd never had any complaints about was his Master's cooking.  
  
Sev and Obi discussed the sparring session as they ate dinner and dessert, and then Sev quipped, "I guess it put you guys in the mood for another kind of sword fight."  
  
Dooku almost choked on his pie. Sev laughed harder at his reaction, with Dooku trying to muster all the dignity he could. Qui sensed the discomfort across their Force bond - Dooku still had a difficult time reconciling the small boy with the man, moreso now that Dooku was able to admit yes, he thought of Qui as his son, even though they were only ten years apart.  
  
"We're looking forward to Serenno," Qui said. He couldn't resist the opportunity to troll Dooku. "Obi and I will take our sword practice to a whole new level."  
  
Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know..."  
  
"I know." Qui beamed.  
  
Sev cackled, and Dooku shot him a look, and Sev just kissed the tip of his nose. "It's OK, honey," Sev said, "we can get them back."  
  
"But in the meantime..." Qui pulled Obi in for a kiss.  
  
Obi and Qui cleared the table and did the dishes, and noticed that Dooku and Sev went to the fresher together; they smiled knowingly when they heard the shower running. Then Qui cringed, as he sensed Dooku doing the exact same thing to Sev that he'd done to Obi in that shower, on his knees, eating Sev's ass like it was his last meal.  
  
_Goddammit,_ Qui yelled across their Force bond.  
  
_Like Master, like padawan, no?_ Qui felt the smirk just before Dooku resumed what he was doing.  
  
Qui shielded as fast and hard as he could, like a door slamming; he could still feel Dooku's laughter just before the silence. Obi sensed it across their bond, and patted Qui's shoulder.  
  
They got ready for bed, but as soon as they undressed and saw each other naked, the passion began to burn once more, and Qui and Obi found themselves with their heads between each other's legs, sucking each other, fingering each other's asses as they sucked, at last coming together. Qui loved it when they came at the same time, and loved it even more when they kissed with their mouths full of each other's cum, relishing the taste of their seed combined. They somehow managed to get their pajamas on, and Obi studiously insisted they meditate before bed, taking Qui's hand to help him get into the right frame of mind.  
  
Their meditation was broken by a knock at the door. "Come in," Obi said.  
  
Sev opened the door; he was in pajamas as well, but it was obvious from the way he was walking funny what he and Dooku had been up to a short time ago. "I hope I'm not interrupting something..."  
  
"We were just meditating, Master," Obi said.  
  
Sev snickered. "Is that what you're calling it now."  
  
"We were," Obi insisted. "We finished sucking a little while -"  
  
Sev put up the palm of his hand, indicating Obi didn't need to go on; Qui laughed and Sev laughed too.  
  
"I have a present for you," Sev said, and that was when Obi and Qui noticed he had a bag in his other hand. He tossed it onto the bed.  
  
"What is it?" Obi asked, before opening it.  
  
"It's toys," Sev said.  
  
"...Toys?" And then when Obi opened the bag, the first thing he pulled out was a glass penis, with an intriguing bumpy texture.  
  
"Adult toys," Sev said, nodding. "I went shopping earlier today and I decided to get you a few things so you could, uh, prepare for the trip."  
  
Qui pulled out a jar of lubricant from the bag, and they pulled out a two-headed purple penis, and a phallic-shaped object that was thin and blue. "Huh," Obi said. He noticed a switch towards the bottom and flipped it; the toy began to vibrate.  
  
"That's... interesting," Qui said.  
  
Sev nodded. "That's to get you started. I can take you out to get more after your birthday."  
  
"Oh, my." Obi's eyes lit up. "You mean there are more toys than these?"  
  
"Oh, yes." Sev laughed. "Many, many different kinds of toys, for many, many different games."  
  
"I like games." Qui smirked, and gave Obi a lascivious look. "We've started to play some games ourselves."  
  
"Yeah?" Sev put his hand on his hip.  
  
Qui nodded. "Like tying him up and teasing him."  
  
Sev raised his eyebrows. "You... tied...?"  
  
"His wrists," Qui said.  
  
It became apparent from Sev's reaction that even though he had more sexual experience than they did, something like that had never even occurred to him, and it was like watching a light go off in Sev's head. "Well," Sev said, "that sounds..."  
  
"Like something you've never tried," Obi said, knowingly.  
  
"Not yet," Sev said, and then he cackled. "But I will now!" He grinned. "I guess the padawan has taught the Master something."  
  
"Indeed," Obi said.  
  
Sev gave a salute, and a small wave on his way out. "Night, boys!"  
  
Once the door was closed, Qui made a Wookiee noise at the thought of Sev and Dooku tying each other up; the mental images short-circuited before they could go on much farther. Obi patted Qui's shoulder. "There, there," Obi said.  
  
"That's enough to kill my sex drive for the night," Qui lamented.  
  
"It's just as well because we should get to sleep at a decent hour, no sense being in sleep debt when we arrive on Serenno, it will be difficult enough to adjust to the time difference."  
  
Qui rolled his eyes. "Always so sensible."  
  
"Someone has to be." Obi kissed the tip of Qui's nose. "Besides... we should have something to look forward to tomorrow. Like testing out those toys."  
  
Qui flopped over immediately and used the Force to turn out the lights, making Obi laugh. Obi used the Force to move the toys and jar of lube over to the nightstand, and pulled the covers around them. He snuggled into Qui, and Qui wrapped his arms around him, their legs braiding together.  
  
"Good night, love," Qui said to Obi, petting him.  
  
They exchanged one last kiss, and then took each other's hands and let sleep wash over them.


	8. Chapter 8

The night before their scheduled departure to Serenno, Qui and Obi couldn't sleep. This, despite having a very full day - to avoid arousing suspicion and having their activities traced, Dooku and Sev had logged that they were going on a mission to another Outer Rim planet, and Qui and Obi had thus spent the day reviewing safety and diplomatic protocol that wasn't really necessary, including going through holosims to test their responses in emergencies.  
  
Snuggling together in Qui's bed, Obi and Qui tried to get their rest, but the proximity of each other, and needs that had gone unmet all day, made that more and more difficult. At last Obi reached beneath the sheets, smiling as he felt the hard bulge in Qui's pajama bottoms, and he rubbed slowly. "You know," he whispered, "we haven't tried any of the toys yet."  
  
Qui looked at him and smiled. "You know, you're right, we haven't."  
  
They raced each other to the fresher to clean up; Obi made it there first, and Qui sighed and huffed with mock impatience, tapping on the door as he heard Obi flush the toilet and run the water. When Obi came out, grinning, he gave Qui a deep, hungry kiss before shoving him into the fresher and closing the door, waiting. Qui stepped out a few minutes later, and Obi took his hand and dragged him back to the bedroom, the two giggling all the way.  
  
They began undressing as soon as they came back to Qui's bedroom, and tumbled to the bed together, kissing, hands roaming. They nuzzled, and Obi stroked Qui's face. "Which of us should go first?" he asked.  
  
"I'm OK with you going first," Qui said.  
  
"Good," Obi said, "because I've been thinking about this all fucking day."  
  
"I know." Qui laughed.  
  
Obi bit his lower lip, looking suddenly shy. "Sometimes I forget how strong our Force bond is."  
  
"And it will only grow stronger." Qui used the Force to pull over the bag of toys. He held out the vibrator. "This is the one you want, yes?"  
  
Obi nodded. "To start with." He eyed the dildos, and Qui knew he was apprehensive about their size.  
  
"All right." Qui leaned in for a kiss.  
  
He wasn't going to give Obi what he wanted right away, of course; Qui had developed a real taste for teasing. He found Obi-Wan's body too beautiful to not worship with his hands and mouth, and he savored all of Obi's reactions, working him up more and more, in heat for it, completely surrendering to desire and need. And tonight he wanted to get Obi very, very ready, not wanting to cause him any pain, only bring him sweet, sweet pleasure. So he spent a long time kissing, licking and nibbling from Obi's neck all the way down to his feet, lingering on the nipples, enjoying the way they peaked beneath his fingers and tongue, the way Obi moaned and panted and squirmed, exquisitely sensitive.  
  
Obi's stomach and thighs were also sensitive, and behind the knee. When Qui kissed his way up he licked and nibbled behind Obi's knees, smiling at the way he trembled. "Please, Qui," Obi begged. "Please, I need..."  
  
Qui watched the precum dripping down Obi's cock, and as he continued to lick the crease of Obi's knee, he rubbed the slit of Obi's cock with his index finger, getting it slick with precum. With Obi's eyes riveted on him, Qui brought his finger to his mouth to taste, making a deep "mmmmmm" as he enjoyed Obi's precum, sucking his finger clean slowly. Then Qui came up to lap up the trail of precum, from the head down Obi's shaft, making Obi gasp and shiver; Obi clutched Qui's head and arched to him.  
  
After a few more long, slow licks, Qui took Obi's cock into his mouth, swallowing down to the hilt, and sucked even more slowly than he'd licked, eyes continuing to watch his bondmate's responses, his cock throbbing with each moan and gasp. A few minutes into the sucking, Qui pushed a finger into Obi, finding the prostate right away, and he could feel across their Force bond that the combination of slow sucking and rubbing in lazy circles was driving Obi wild, enough that Qui had to start stroking himself with his free hand.  
  
One finger became two, then three. Then Qui replaced his fingers with his tongue inside Obi-Wan, licking slowly at first, teasing the prostate, then rubbing his tongue harder and faster, and harder and faster still; when his head was shaking back and forth, his tongue fucking furiously, Obi grabbed the headboard, whimpering, begging "please, please..."  
  
Qui let him beg, driving him close to the edge of orgasm but not letting him come, not yet; there was still too much to do.... new levels of pleasure and passion to explore. Qui continued to lash his tongue until he felt Obi about to explode, and then he stopped before Obi could climax, smiling at Obi's whine of frustration as he pulled his head back.  
  
"Dammit, Qui-Gon," Obi panted. "Please..."  
  
"Patience, love." Qui took a few licks at the head of Obi's cock, groaning at the taste of his precum, flowing even more abundantly now. With Obi's precum on his tongue, he came up to kiss him, letting Obi taste himself, making him even crazier. They kissed again, and Qui used the Force to bring over the lubricant, slicked his fingers, and pushed them back into Obi. His fingers worked slowly, then faster, until Obi's hips were rocking, fucking himself on Qui's fingers, nails digging into Qui's back. The way Obi felt around his fingers was a taste of how he'd feel eventually wrapped around his cock; Qui's own cock twinged in response, and Qui's free hand reached to stroke himself. He was leaking precum too, and he brought his precum-soaked fingers to Obi's mouth, watching as Obi licked and sucked them clean. Making him twinge and throb even more, groaning. Qui kissed Obi's neck, laughing softly as Obi's nails raked his back and he howled "Please, please Qui-Gon, please..."  
  
Qui coated the vibrator with lubricant, and then moved it down to his cock and applied an additional coat of precum, Obi's eyes riveted. With that, Qui pushed the vibrator into Obi, a little at a time. When the vibe was all the way in, Qui turned it on its lowest setting.  
  
Obi's eyes widened with shock. He opened his mouth as if to scream but no sound came out, and then a long, shuddery gasp. Obi's hands fisted the sheets, white-knuckled. "Oh Force," he cried out. "OhForceohForceohQui ohhhh _Quiiii._"  
  
Qui pulled the vibrator back, until it was almost all the way out, and then began pushing it into him again, slowly. Another gasp, Obi thrashing as if he were having a seizure, and a howl. In and out the vibrator went, slowly, until Obi was shaking from head to toe, breathless, making inhuman noises. Qui took Obi's cock into his free hand and started moving the vibrator in and out more quickly, stroking in time with the push and pull. Then faster still, then Qui adjusted the speed setting on the vibrator itself. Based on the way Obi was responding to the vibe inside of him, Qui silently lamented that there weren't two, where he could use the Force to move the vibe to tease the frenum and slit of Obi's cock as he stroked it.  
  
This would do for now; this was doing quite nicely.  
  
When Qui leaned in to kiss him, that was when Obi lost it, screaming into Qui's mouth as he erupted over Qui's stomach and chest. Obi's orgasm was so intense that it made Qui-Gon climax as well; he aimed so his cum shot over Obi's cock, and that set Obi off again, raking Qui with his nails, crying out loudly enough that Qui had to cover his mouth before anyone heard from down the hall. Qui kissed him again, holding Obi as they shuddered with release, their spent cocks resting together. Qui shut off the vibrator and pulled it out, smiling at the gaping hole, wondering how it would look dripping with his cum; that thought made his cock stir again. Obi felt it.  
  
"You're insatiable," Obi chuckled, kissing him.  
  
"For you." Qui kissed him back. "You do this to me."  
  
"I do." Obi sounded like he was still surprised by this.  
  
"You do." Qui took Obi's hand, kissed it, and pressed it to his heart. Then, stroking Obi's face, he decided that there was no time like now to tell him what had been weighing on him for awhile. "Sev says that there should be no secrets between us before we take our next step... so I need to tell you something."  
  
"All right."  
  
"I also have feelings for Tahl." Their eyes met, and Qui continued to stroke Obi's face. "This isn't something I can help, and it doesn't mean I don't feel deeply for you - my heart is big enough for both of you. I would like to be with both of you, if you were both amenable to that. I do love you more, and I would give you more of my time. And if it bothers you enough, you are important enough to me that I would honor that and not pursue her also. But if you were willing to share me, I would be grateful -"  
  
Obi put his index finger to Qui's lips, and then he simply nodded. "So long as you make time for me, I don't see a problem. Though I have concerns that the more relationships you maintain, the harder it will be to keep it a secret from the Council."  
  
"I share that concern." Qui also nodded. "But there are at least six Jedi in forbidden relationships - two aren't Knighted yet - seven, were I to also be with Tahl... and it would be a non-trivial matter to exile all of us. Additionally, the Council is mostly full of old Jedi. They will not live forever, they will not be on the Council forever. Someday, if we, and our Masters, and Sifo and Jocasta were to sit on the Jedi Council, we might be able to make new rules for the Order, such as allowing relationships. I don't think the Order is healthier for disallowing them, honestly."  
  
"It would be risky to even try," Obi said.  
  
"One does not save the Galaxy by never taking risks, Obi-Wan."  
  
"But one must evaluate what risks are worth taking, nonetheless. Right now, we're not in a position to influence the Council, we're still padawans being told what to do by our Masters. So if you maintain not one, but two forbidden relationships - just be careful. Be very, very careful."  
  
"I intend to be." Qui nodded. "And I intend to make it worth the care and caution involved, for both of you." Qui kissed Obi. "For especially you." He kissed Obi again. "I feel for her, but my feelings for you are much more. Please know that."  
  
"I don't know," Obi said dryly, "you might have to prove it." He nipped Qui's lower lip.  
  
Qui raised an eyebrow, sensing Obi was in a rare playful mood. "How so?"  
  
"Actions speak louder than words." With that, Obi rolled Qui onto his back.  
  
Qui laughed, but also his cock leapt at the sudden display of dominance from his usually more submissive bondmate. He looked up at Obi with trust in his eyes; he smiled at the love in Obi's own eyes before Obi leaned in to kiss him, sweet and gentle at first, then hard and hungry.  
  
Obi spent time returning the treatment given to his own body, kissing and licking and caressing every inch of Qui-Gon's flesh, from his neck to his feet and back up again, and then back down his chest and stomach, to tongue bathe Qui's cock and balls, then Obi sucked Qui's cock slowly, making him writhe and pant even more. By the time Obi got around to putting his tongue inside Qui's channel, Qui heard himself babbling, whimpering, almost brought to tears with the intensity of his need.  
  
And even that seemed like nothing once Obi's tongue worked its magic inside him, fucking the sweet spot, readying him for something more. With the Force, Qui selected the toy he wanted to use - the glass dildo. Obi stopped licking him - making Qui whine with frustration - and he raised his eyebrows at the sight of it.  
  
"You don't want to start with something smaller, the vibrator?" Obi asked.  
  
"As they say on Corellia, go big or go home."  
  
Obi laughed at that, then he took a lick of the precum dripping down Qui's cock and husked, "You are home, my love."  
  
Before Qui could get too sentimental at that, Obi took the dildo - which he'd been lubing up as he licked Qui's cock - and began to push it inside him.  
  
It was tight, and it pinched and burned initially. Qui took deep breaths, pushing out as the dildo pushed in, taking it inch by inch. When it was halfway in, Obi stopped and gave Qui a chance to adjust. Then Obi pulled it out, and pushed it back in, to the halfway point, hitting that sweet spot as it went in. It went out again, then in, stroking the spot once more. When Obi got a rhythm going, Qui started bucking his hips back at the glass cock, electrified by the rubbing inside him.  
  
It wasn't long before Obi could push more of it in, until most of it was in Qui, and there was no pain, only pleasure, only pure primal _need_. "Fuck me," Qui panted, rolling his hips, stroking himself in time with the dildo working in and out of him.  
  
With a wicked grin, Obi smacked Qui's hand away, and then he took Qui's cock into his mouth, swallowing to the hilt, as he worked the dildo inside him harder and faster. Qui cried out, loving it. Obi sucked hard, and the sensations around his cock and inside him combined more and more deliciously; even though Qui needed to come, his balls aching for it, he held out as long as he could, never wanting the sweetness, the _perfection_ of the sucking and rubbing to stop. It was as if with the need inside him, he could feel the instinct of every blade of grass pushing up through the soil to the sun, every bird migrating to its home, every wolf hungry and hunting for its food, every deer running for its life. The Living Force thrummed through him, the heart of survival, the _drive_ to take and preserve one's place in the universe.  
  
And when he climaxed, flooding Obi's mouth, his cock and prostate throbbing with each pulse of ecstasy, there was a moment of becoming one with the Force - _the little death_, as he'd heard Sev call it, as Sev had heard it elsewhere. But it wasn't ceasing to exist... it was going back to the source of existence itself. And then, reborn in light, awakening to new life, spirit fed by the act of love, the deepest intimacy between two souls, letting them break you and put you back together.  
  
"I love you," Qui heard himself say, his face buried in Obi's chest, nuzzling the fur.  
  
"I love you." Obi kissed the top of Qui's head.  
  
  
_  
  
The Republic-issue shuttle was built for efficiency rather than comfort; behind the pilot and first mate's seats there was a passenger bench on one side and a wider sleeper section on the other, with a door that led out to a small cargo hold on one side and a four-bunk unit on the other, with adjacent fresher station. There was a privacy curtain that could be drawn between the bunk beds, however, it offered only a modicum of privacy.  
  
The trip from Coruscant to Serenno would take over a day. Once they had left Coruscant and were in hyperspace, Dooku suggested the best way for them to handle the issue of cramped space and limited privacy was for everyone to abstain from sexual activity until they arrived on Serenno.  
  
This was of course easier said than done - a couple hours into the trip, Qui and Obi started necking and petting in the passenger bench. With the shuttle on autopilot, Dooku was reading a holonovel, and he became vaguely aware of what his padawan was doing, then more aware, and finally he looked over his shoulder with a disapproving clear of his throat.  
  
"You know..."  
  
"We know." Qui grinned.  
  
Dooku glared.  
  
Five minutes after Dooku re-absorbed himself in his holonovel, it started again. Dooku glared again, and harder once Sev tried not to laugh. At that point Dooku felt he was fighting a lost cause and simply shielded himself as strongly as he could, and twenty minutes later, Qui got up to "use the fresher", and Obi followed.  
  
"We weren't much better when we were that age," Sev said, patting Dooku's knee.  
  
"No, we weren't." Dooku couldn't resist a smile, remembering.  
  
Sev leered. "We're not much better now, to be honest."  
  
Sev leaned in to steal a kiss, and soon Dooku and Sev were necking and petting even more passionately than their padawans had been. Sev made a little purring noise as his wandering hand found Dooku's robe was tenting. "My, what do we have here?" Sev asked.  
  
"I believe you've found my other lightsaber," Dooku quipped.  
  
"And it's also got a curved hilt."  
  
Dooku blushed, and Sev laughed out loud and kissed the tip of his nose, before giving him a deep kiss, hand rubbing more insistently, both of them moaning into the kiss.  
  
"You should take a break," Sev growled.  
  
"Well technically I have been taking a break, reading -"  
  
"Something that doesn't involve using your mind." Sev nibbled Dooku's neck. "Something that involves you using other parts."  
  
"Oh, my." Dooku smirked. "Care to show me which parts might be involved?"  
  
Sev stood up, and swiveled Dooku's chair to the side. Then he got on his knees in front of him. Just before he could lift up Dooku's robe and undo his trousers, Qui and Obi were back from their fresher visit, hands on hips, clearing their throats in unison, before making Wookiee noises.  
  
"So much for waiting until we get to Serenno," Qui said.  
  
"We weren't doing anything," Sev said, giving Qui the fake-innocent face Dooku knew and loved too well. Then Sev added, "Yet."  
  
Qui and Obi both rolled their eyes. "You set terrible examples," Obi said.  
  
"Thank you," Sev replied, grinning, making them laugh; even Dooku managed a smile at that.  
  
Dooku got up from the pilot's seat and gestured to it. "How would you boys like to be in charge for a little while?" Dooku had given Obi some piloting lessons, as Sev had with Obi, and they were capable of handling the front end for a bit.  
  
Qui and Obi looked at each other, and then raced each other to the pilot's seat. Obi landed in it first, looking smug, and Qui gave him a noogie before he sat in the first mate's seat. Sev took Dooku's hand and dragged him off to the bunks, with Qui and Obi making more Wookiee noises on their way out.  
  
Sev pulled the privacy curtain, even though they didn't really need it, and quickly got out of his Jedi robes; Dooku undressed more slowly, until Sev lost patience and yanked off the rest of his clothing, making Dooku chuckle. When Dooku was also naked, Sev pulled him into his bottom bunk, on top of him, and wrapped his arms and legs around him, kissing him deeply.  
  
Dooku groaned as he felt their hard cocks rubbing together, and the soft petal skin of Sev's body against his. He kissed Sev back, and then started kissing Sev's neck. "I can't believe we're doing this," he murmured between kisses.  
  
Sev laughed. "I can."  
  
Dooku normally preferred to take it slow, savoring the way Sev lost control with all the teasing, the slow buildup creating a powerful release, but the circumstances and the urgency they felt meant getting right down to business. He took Sev right away, pounding him into the mattress, and Sev loved it, matching his rhythm, nails digging in Dooku's back, in wild heat. After a few minutes Sev rolled him onto his back and rode him even harder - Dooku's favorite position was arguably Sev riding his cock, loving the sight of his body, the view of Sev's ass taking his cock again and again, the frenzied animal heat of his bondmate. He loved how passionate Sev was, the way Sev made him lose his iron reserve and _feel_. The love he felt for Sev was just as powerful as his lust - Sev was the most beautiful thing in the Galaxy to him, and even as he gripped Sev's hips and drove into him, taking, he himself was being taken, claimed, surrendering, vulnerable.  
  
They tried to keep it down for Qui and Obi's sake, but soon the bunk cabin was filled with the sounds of Dooku's balls slapping Sev's ass, the steel frame of the bed rattling underneath them, panting and gasping that became moaning. When they climaxed together, they couldn't help crying out, and again as Sev collapsed onto Dooku's chest, the two groaning as their toes curled with throbbing pleasure. One of Dooku's arms wrapped around Sev, and Sev took the free hand and their fingers braided together; Dooku smiled as he felt Sev's toes link with his as well.  
  
"Fuck, that was hot," Sev sighed.  
  
"Indeed." Dooku smoothed Sev's curls, and kissed his forehead. They nuzzled, and Sev snuggled back into Dooku's chest; the hand that wasn't holding his was now playing with his chest hair, making little swirls.  
  
Sev dozed off a little, as he often did following sex, and when he came back to himself he noticed Dooku was lost in thought. "You OK, Yan?"  
  
"Yes. Just... thinking."  
  
"That much is obvious," Sev said, tapping his shoulder. "Credit for your thoughts?"  
  
Dooku laughed. "I don't know that they're even worth that much, dear."  
  
Sev gave him a stern look. "Your thoughts and your feelings _are_ worth a lot to me, Yan. You'd think after how many years it's been, you'd remember that." He kissed the tip of Dooku's nose.  
  
"Well..." Dooku let out a small sigh. "I was thinking, I'm not just taking Qui-Gon to Serenno to help him start down the path of stronger connection to the Living Force." His eyes met Sev's. "As you know, I haven't been back to my homeworld since I was taken from there at the age of six. It's been twenty-two years. It's... time to get some closure."  
  
Sev nodded. "I thought as much, but didn't want to say it. I know it's still a sore spot for you."  
  
Dooku ruffled Sev's curls. "It's fine." He took Sev's hand and kissed it. "Having you with me will help a lot."  
  
What he didn't say then was that as Sev had been taking a nap, he'd been thinking of something that had been weighing on his mind a bit since he'd attempted to give Qui and Obi "the talk" - the question Qui had brought up of why he didn't bottom for Sev. Sev had, when he'd learned of Dooku's trauma history, never pushed the issue, and indeed, it took awhile for Sev to even bring up having it done to him instead. Dooku smiled to himself as he remembered that day...  
  
  
_  
  
Nineteen-year-old Yan Dooku had been back from his latest mission with Yoda no less than an hour when Sev hauled him off to the quarters he shared with Master Aboru. The minute they arrived there, Dooku found himself slammed against the door, Sev kissing him with all the pent up passion he'd been holding back for close to a month. "While she's out shopping," Sev growled, before kissing him again; they kissed on the way to Sev's bedroom.  
  
Sev started stripping as soon as he set foot inside his bedroom. Dooku undid his robes much more carefully and methodically, and laughed as Sev lost patience and yanked the clothing off of him, then he stopped laughing when Sev ran his hands over the exposed flesh; Dooku groaned and trembled, his cock now fully erect.  
  
"Force, I've missed this," Dooku said, walking Sev back towards the bed, pushing him down, covering him.  
  
"Mmmmm, I've missed you too." Sev kissed him again, and Dooku shivered as Sev caressed his chest, fingers threading through the chest hair, then wandering to the nipples, rubbing slowly. "It's been too long."  
  
"It has." Dooku kissed Sev's neck, his shoulder, and drew one of Sev's nipples into his mouth, sucking hard. Sev arched to him and cried out, and Dooku laughed as he lapped the nipple, before suckling it again. "You don't know how many times I've thought about doing this."  
  
"Oh, I bet I have some idea." Sev snickered. "My wrist got quite the -" He gasped and shuddered as Dooku's tongue laved the other nipple, rubbing hard and fast, then slowly, before sucking it. "Quite the workout."  
  
"Did it now?" Dooku nibbled on the nipple and Sev cried out again; Dooku's hand strayed to Sev's cock, stroking it slowly. "I've thought about you touching yourself, too."  
  
"I bet you have."  
  
"But it's not as good as getting to watch the real thing." Dooku kissed up Sev's neck and claimed his mouth; they groaned as their tongues played together, and again when Dooku let go of Sev's cock and their cocks rubbed together, slowly, sensually.  
  
"Mmmmm, all this time apart and you just want to watch?" Sev raised an eyebrow and nibbled on Dooku's lower lip.  
  
Dooku kissed him harder, with a growl. "To start," he rasped. He took Sev's hand and guided it to his cock, and then pulled back to watch Sev stroke himself. "I need to see something beautiful after having had nothing to look at but desert and Yoda for close to a month."  
  
Sev laughed - how he'd missed that laugh. Then Dooku stroked Sev's face and Sev bit his lower lip in a shy smile. Sev's hand began to work his cock, slowly, and Dooku gave an appreciative groan. "That's it, love," he encouraged.  
  
It wasn't long before Sev was stroking himself furiously, precum oozing down his shaft, over his hand, the slickness making a deliciously filthy suctioning sound. Dooku's own cock was leaking precum without even touching himself, such was the way Sev aroused him. The sight of Sev's face in ecstasy, the sounds of him panting, moaning, just made it that much more arousing.  
  
And yet, Sev usually finished faster than this, when he was masturbating. Dooku wondered about it - not that he wasn't enjoying the show. His curiosity was satisfied when Sev stopped what he was doing, catching his breath, a look of frustration on his face.  
  
"What's wrong?" Dooku asked.  
  
"Well," Sev said, "lately when I've been, uh, taking care of myself, I have, uh." He looked away. "Never mind."  
  
"No," Dooku said, gesturing for him to go on. "Tell me what it is you have, because I don't understand."  
  
"Uh, it's a toy."  
  
"A... toy?" Dooku still didn't understand.  
  
"Yeah." Sev flushed pink. "Never mind..."  
  
"No, I really want you to explain this."  
  
"Yan," Sev hissed, "I don't want to upset you, because it involves, uh... butt stuff."  
  
Dooku's eyebrows raised.  
  
"I know that it's a sensitive issue -"  
  
"Well, we're talking about your arse, yes?" Dooku was so far gone in his lust and wanting to watch Sev come that it was the only thing he could think about; the trauma felt light years away. "I'm still up for watching if you want to show me. If it's pleasurable to you... if you're going to come for me... I definitely want to see it."  
  
"All right." Sev used the Force to open his bedtable drawer, and out came a prosthetic penis, curved like Dooku's own, and the same color as Dooku's own - a similar length and thickness. Dooku's eyes widened at the sight of it.  
  
"Where did you get that?" Dooku asked.  
  
"There are shops in the red-light district," Sev said.  
  
"...Shops?"  
  
"Yes, shops. Selling sex toys like this and others, sexy outfits, spunkvids... it's not a part of Coruscant that I particularly like to visit, but I have, and this is one of the toys I have."  
  
"You have... more?"  
  
Sev just nodded. "But this is the one I use most often. It's called a dildo. I had it custom-made, designed after, well." He gestured to Dooku's cock.  
  
"Oh, my."  
  
"And sometimes..." Dooku watched as Sev used the Force to pull out a small jar from the bedtable drawer; the jar was marked as a type of lubricant. Sev began applying the lubricant to the dildo, a rather copious amount. "Often, lately... when I, uh, take care of myself..." Sev spread his legs and began to push the toy inside his hole, an inch at a time. "I think about you, and what it would be like to feel you inside me."  
  
Dooku marveled; it looked like Sev was enjoying it, rather than in pain. Indeed, across their Force bond, Dooku could feel Sev's pleasure, a sweet spot being rubbed, teased, excited. With the dildo in one hand, Sev resumed stroking himself with the other hand. Soon Sev was using the Force to move the dildo in and out of his ass, playing with his balls as he jerked his cock with grit teeth, trembling, making little whimpering noises.  
  
Dooku's eyes were riveted, and his cock was aching even more. He'd had an aversion to the idea of anal play due to his history... but this was fully consensual on Sev's part. This wasn't just consent, this was all-consuming hunger, and Dooku found it intoxicating. He knew that if he took Sev this way, Sev would love it even more than he would love having the toy inside of him. And when Sev at last climaxed, shooting his cum onto Dooku's cock, almost setting Dooku off from the heat of it... Dooku knew he wanted this, too.  
  
He took Sev in his arms and kissed him, deeply. Sev snuggled into his chest, nuzzling the chest hair; his orgasm was more intense than Dooku had seen or felt thus far, and he dozed off a little while Dooku's own cock waited. At last, when Sev felt the hard-on rubbing against his thigh, he stirred. "Hi," Sev said, giving him a sleepy grin.  
  
"Hello there."  
  
"We should take care of you."  
  
Dooku smiled.  
  
Sev bit his lower lip, giving that shy, innocent-yet-naughty look again that made Dooku's cock twinge, wanting to fuck him even harder than Sev had fucked himself. "Do you want to...?"  
  
As badly as Dooku did, in fact, want to fuck Sev, he hesitated. "Not today," he said.  
  
"Does it still trigger -"  
  
"It's not that," Dooku said. He searched for the right words to express what he was thinking. "If I'm inside of you... it's going to be very intimate. Our Force bond has already been intensifying with each new thing we've tried, and this... is a whole new level of intimacy. And I worry about that just now, before we've had our Jedi trials, because as you know, the Jedi trials are reputed to be very difficult for the padawan, and the Master who can feel what their padawan is going through. It's going to be difficult enough for us, bonded as we are, without intensifying that difficulty by intensifying our Force bond. And in the difficulty, we might unintentionally interfere with the other's trial."  
  
Sev sighed, not bothering to hide the disappointment on his face, but after a moment he nodded, slowly. "You're right," he said.  
  
"I do want this," Dooku said, shivering as his mind replayed the delicious sight of Sev fucking himself. "Very much. I want to please you... and I think I would probably find it pleasurable as well, if your... insides... feel as good as your hand or mouth does."  
  
"It feels better, from what I've heard," Sev said.  
  
Dooku shivered again, and cursed under his breath, damning his restraint. "But we need to wait, my own."  
  
"OK. So... how long are we waiting?"  
  
"Until after our trials are over... after we've been Knighted."  
  
"So you're talking a whole year and a half."  
  
"Unfortunately so." Dooku gave Sev a soft, gentle kiss in consolation. "But... it gives us something to look forward to."  
  
"I am going to drive you out of your mind," Sev said, grinning.  
  
"You already do." Dooku rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, and Sev poked him in the ribs. Dooku tweaked Sev's padawan braid, and then he tickled Sev's armpits until Sev kissed and licked his neck - immediately going for a weak spot - and took Dooku's cock into his hand.  
  
"I've missed you so much," Sev husked, before kissing his neck again.  
  
Dooku groaned. "How much?"  
  
Wordlessly, Sev rolled Dooku onto his back, and began kissing his way down. Their eyes met as Sev swallowed down the length of his cock, and Sev sucked like he'd been starving for it.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Sev and Dooku returned to the cockpit, and Qui and Obi immediately got up and gave them their seats. Dooku sat in the pilot's seat, and noted the time - they'd been in the bunk longer than he'd anticipated, and most of that was truthfully just cuddling with Sev.  
  
They ate field rations - not Dooku's favorite - and Dooku pulled out a thermos pot of tea that he'd made prior to the trip that morning so at least they could have proper tea. Sev snorted at his bondmate's habits, and Dooku shot him a look, making Sev laugh harder.  
  
"You're so cute," Sev said.  
  
"I. Am. Not. Cute."  
  
Despite the tea, Qui and Obi were ready for bed not long after the meal - or perhaps, more likely, ready for "bed". Dooku and Sev remained in the cockpit, and Sev put on a holoseries to entertain them for the last leg of their journey. Though it was one of Dooku's favorites - a show about a conquering queen and her three krayt dragons - his mind wasn't really focused on the show, but instead he was thinking about what he could remember of his childhood and family on Serenno... how unhappy he'd been. The Jedi had rescued him. But even then, it had been Sev who'd truly rescued him, by making him open his heart... risk creating this little family, here.  
  
Sev was leaning on Dooku, drifting off to sleep. Dooku reached in the nearby supply compartment, pulled out a blanket, and wrapped it around Sev. He looked beautiful when he slept, and Dooku just watched him for awhile, lulled into much-needed tranquility after painful memories.  
  
Dooku meditated, and at some point he must have fallen asleep himself; he was woken by the ship's computer intoning that they were approaching the Serenno system. Dooku opened his eyes and watched as the shuttle dropped out of hyperspace - Sev closed his eyes, hating the jumps - and then Sev watched with him as they entered the solar system.  
  
Serenno as seen from space looked like a green jewel, and as they got closer the green was swirled with white, and then the brown of continents. There were very few light sources showing compared to many of the places Dooku had been, especially Coruscant which was notorious for light pollution; Dooku was glad the planet hadn't fallen prey to too much urbanization since he'd left, even though it had only been a couple of decades.  
  
Dooku handled the atmospheric controls to prepare for descent; the pressure was one-point-six Coruscant standard. His ears popped as the shuttle made its descent, and he winced, and then the comm flashed.  
  
"Republic courier, identify yourself. This is Andraste Nalju di Serenn of the Planetary Corporation of Serenno."  
  
Dooku cleared his throat and replied, "This is Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Masters Dooku and Severin Yusanis, aboard the Republic vessel _Herald_; we are here for independent training."  
  
"All right. Please hold for your coordinates for landing."  
  
Dooku watched the data transmission and said, "Received. Our expected time of arrival is fifteen minutes."  
  
"Welcome home, Yan."  
  
Dooku froze. He looked down, and ground out, "Thank you."  
  
Sev shot him a look, and Dooku looked away. _That would be my cousin,_ Dooku told him in the Force.  
  
The _cousin? The one who called the Jedi to take you to keep you from being put to death?_  
  
_The very same._ Dooku nodded.  
  
"Well," Sev said, shifting in his seat, "this should be interesting."  
  
"Quite."


	9. Chapter 9

At the spaceport in Carannia, Serenno's capital, the moment Dooku, Sev, Qui and Obi disembarked from their shuttle, carrying travel bags, they were greeted by a tall man with silvering dark hair and beard, who looked a bit like an older version of Dooku; he was wearing a flowing dark blue cape over a black tunic and trousers.  
  
"Hello, Yan," he said.  
  
"Andraste," Dooku said.  
  
Andraste Nalju di Serenn approached Dooku and shook his hand. "It's good to see you," he said.  
  
"Thank you, cousin. I assume there is a speeder rental service nearby?"  
  
"There is, but being that you're family and I haven't seen you in over twenty years, I came here myself to personally escort you anywhere you might want to go."  
  
"That was very kind of you."  
  
"There is a five-star hotel a short drive away, and a speeder rental service close to the hotel should you want to get around without having to rely on me. I'd be happy to put you up there at my expense."  
  
"I have credits -"  
  
Andraste shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "Please, let me do this for you. I never thought I'd see you again."  
  
The four boarded Andraste's speeder van, with Dooku climbing in the front row passenger seat. The sun was setting, and the aerial view of the coastal forest city, glowing beneath the gold-red-violet sky, was breathtaking, enough so that there was an initial silence.  
  
When they got closer to the hotel, Andraste said, "Does anyone else know you're here?"  
  
"Anyone else as in..."  
  
"Your brother, for example."  
  
Dooku gave a small, rueful smile. "No." Then, "How is he?"  
  
"Doing well, as the circumstances allow. He just got married, and he and his wife are expecting their first child."  
  
"Oh." Dooku let that sink in - his brother had been just a baby when he'd left Serenno, and even though he knew logically it had been twenty-two years, it was still hard to reconcile the mental image of the baby with the reality of a man who now had a baby on the way.  
  
"I myself have five children," Andraste went on. "Oldest is attending university now and the youngest just started school a few months ago."  
  
"Lovely."  
  
"What about you?" Andraste raised an eyebrow. Serenno was fairly isolated on the Outer Rim, and the inner workings of Jedi culture were not well known outside the Core Worlds.  
  
Dooku took a deep breath. "Well actually," he said, "I came here with the man I intend on marrying, and I will be adopting our padawans as my sons and heirs."  
  
"I see." Andraste's face was blank, and that registered a small alarm with Dooku, but he didn't quite understand why.  
  
"Since you... helped save my life, all those years ago, you'd be welcome to attend the ceremony, though I would want to keep it small, and private."  
  
"Thank you," Andraste said, with a curt nod. He gestured to the gleaming towers approaching. "Here we are."  
  
Andraste accompanied the four into the hotel lobby, where he told the receptionist to put them up in two separate rooms with full room service, handing over his credits card. The transaction was made, and before the concierge could show them to their rooms, Dooku and his cousin lingered for a moment.  
  
"Is there a way I can get in touch with you with regards to the ceremony?" Dooku asked.  
  
"As you know from me asking your vessel to identify itself, I work at the Department of Defense," Andraste said, "so if you just holocall the capitol and ask to speak with me, they'll put you through."  
  
Across their Force bond, Dooku could hear Qui-Gon's internal _what is it with you people and "as you know"? _Dooku shot his padawan a look, then he turned back to his cousin with a small smile, folded his hands, and gave a small bow. "All right, thank you."  
  
"Enjoy your stay." Andraste gave another curt nod and walked off.  
  
As the concierge led them down the hall, Sev looked at Dooku and raised an eyebrow - he'd also picked up something was off about Dooku's cousin's behavior; Dooku just gave a small nod in quiet acknowledgment.   
  
Qui and Obi's suite was next to Dooku and Sev's. They each took a few moments to look at their suites. The suites were large, like an apartment; each suite had a bedroom with a double bed, dressers and a desk, a living room with a couch and a large holotheatre, a low table and a mini-bar, a dining area with a table and chairs, and a kitchenette with some appliances and another fully stocked mini-bar. The fresher stations had a hot tub in addition to a shower and toilet; Sev perked right up when he saw it.  
  
After perusing the suites, they reconvened in the hallway outside.  
  
"All right," Dooku said, turning to Qui and Obi. "Here is where you get to be adults; you can spend most of this trip alone and we won't interfere. However, I would prefer that you tell me before you leave the hotel and go exploring anywhere, and I'd like to know _where_ you're going - there are dangerous parts of the planet, and I don't want to see anything happen to you. If I tell you no, you can't go somewhere, please obey and do not argue with me about it; there is a reason why I am telling you no, and it is for your own safety. However, there is enough to do here. I would also like to celebrate your birthday with you, and there is of course the matter of the wedding and adoption ceremony."  
  
"When are we having that?" Qui asked.  
  
Dooku and Sev looked at each other. "Does the day after your birthday work? So three days."  
  
Qui and Obi looked at each other, and nodded. Then Qui hugged Dooku, and then Sev, and then Obi hugged both of them as well.  
  
"Behave yourselves," Dooku said, though the tone of his voice was more amused rather than stern.  
  
"Have fun," Qui said, folding his arms, giving Dooku an actually stern look.  
  
"Why does that sound like an admonishment?"  
  
"Because it is," Qui said. "You don't relax and have fun often enough."  
  
Dooku snorted, and then Sev took Dooku's arm and said, "Oh believe me, I'll make sure he has plenty of... fun." Sev wiggled his eyebrows.  
  
Qui facepalmed. "I regret what I said."  
  
"Good." Dooku smiled. Then he gave Qui a stern look. "I expect you to eat properly."  
  
Obi took Qui's arm then and said, grinning, "Oh believe me, I'll make sure he... eats properly."  
  
Dooku facepalmed.  
  
Sev cackled, and dragged Dooku off into their suite, waving; Qui and Obi waved back and then Obi hesitated and ran to Sev and gave him another hug. Sev spent a moment rocking him, hugging him tight.  
  
"If you need me to sing Soft Kitty..." Sev said.  
  
Obi nodded, and looked down, turning pink, looking a bit sheepish. Sev patted his back. "Nobody here is judging you." Sev hugged him again, and ruffled his hair and affectionately tweaked his braid. "OK boys, time to enjoy ourselves for a change."  
  
With that, Dooku was the one to pull Sev into their suite, kissing him hard as he closed the door behind them.  
  
Sev started stripping immediately, making Dooku laugh; he laughed into another kiss, and then groaned and trembled as he felt Sev's hands on him, undressing him. Dooku hardened up right away, and Sev gave a wicked grin at the sight of Dooku's exposed cock, already ready for him.  
  
"I love you," Sev husked, running his hands over Dooku's chest, playing with the chest hair, the hair on his arms and legs. Dooku shivered again at Sev's touch, and kissed Sev more deeply, reaching down to cup Sev's ass, kneading and rubbing.  
  
Then he gave Sev a smack on the ass. "Let's unwind for a bit, shall we?"  
  
Naked, Dooku strode into the kitchenette, to the mini-bar, and after a moment of perusing its contents, chose a bottle of Serennian champagne. He removed the foil and then gave the tab several twists, and the cage and cork popped out with a slow hiss.  
  
"It's amazing you can do that without the bottle exploding," Sev remarked.  
  
Dooku used the Force to carry the champagne and two wine glasses to the fresher, where he then used the Force to start the hot tub. When it was ready, Dooku stepped in to test the water, and then gestured for Sev to follow him. Sev climbed in, and when they were settled, snuggling next to each other, Dooku poured them each a glass of champagne. They clinked glasses and sipped; Sev leaned on Dooku's shoulder.  
  
"This is nice," Sev said.  
  
"Indeed it is." Dooku nuzzled Sev. "And you haven't seen anything yet. There are quite a few places I'd like to take you... especially one of the beaches that I used to frequent when I was a small child. Hopefully it is still as beautiful as I remember."  
  
"That would be awesome." Sev kissed the tip of his nose. "Although... I'd like to spend plenty of time in here, too, if you get what I mean."  
  
"No, I don't have a clue of what you mean, truly." Dooku chuckled. "You'll have to show me."  
  
Sev groped him under the water, and Dooku moaned, moaning louder when Sev leaned in to kiss his neck. Sev slowly stroked Dooku's cock as he kissed and licked up his neck and throat, to trail kisses along his jaw, nuzzling his beard, before claiming his mouth again. Then Sev stopped stroking Dooku's cock and took another sip of champagne, giving Dooku a lustful look over the rim of his glass.  
  
"You're a tease," Dooku said.  
  
"You did say you wanted to unwind first," Sev said, grinning, "so we're unwinding first."  
  
"Brat."  
  
"You love it." Sev kissed him again, and Dooku gave a little growl into the kiss, nipping Sev's lower lip.  
  
"But we do need to relax," Sev said, sipping more champagne. "We had a long flight, it wasn't that comfortable, and... well..." He raised an eyebrow. "What's up with your cousin?"  
  
"I don't know." Dooku frowned. He leaned back against the tub. "He was definitely on edge, and that edge started right after I mentioned the marriage and adoption."  
  
Sev nodded. "I hope he's not... judging you?"  
  
"Likely not. Serenno has never prohibited same-sex partnerships or any activity between consenting adults."  
  
"But what about you marrying an off-worlder, someone who's not Serenni, not nobility of any kind?"  
  
"I considered that, but Serenno has a small enough population that it's necessary for some to take off-worlder partners to reduce inbreeding, and I've been away from Serenno long enough that it would be expected for me to take up with someone off-world. This is... something else." Dooku sipped champagne, pondering. "It's connected to the marriage and adoption, but it's not quite disapproval."  
  
"Huh. Well, I hope he doesn't give us shit at our wedding." Sev polished off his champagne and poured himself a second glass.  
  
"I doubt that. He has manners, and our culture is such that he would just outright refuse if he were invited and he had a problem. Something is going on, but it's not that."  
  
"All right." Sev nodded. "Just bugs me, is all."  
  
"It's a bit bothersome, yes. But... let's not dwell on it." Dooku smiled at Sev, finished his champagne, and also poured himself a second glass. "Let's enjoy ourselves... and each other."  
  
They clinked glasses again, and then kissed deeply. Sev took Dooku's cock back into his hand, stroking slowly, and resumed kissing Dooku's neck. Such was Sev's work on one of his most exquisitely erogenous zones that Dooku wound up accidentally spilling champagne onto Sev's shoulder and chest. Sev stopped what he was doing and looked down at the dripping liquid.  
  
"That's pretty expensive stuff," Sev said.  
  
"It is," Dooku said, nodding.  
  
"We shouldn't let it go to waste."  
  
Dooku kissed Sev hard, and then he kissed and licked down Sev's neck to his shoulder. He lapped up the spilled champagne from Sev's shoulder, licking the trail down to Sev's chest. His tongue lingered on the nipple, teasing and teasing; he groaned at the sound of Sev panting and gasping, the feel of him quivering.  
  
Dooku licked back up Sev's chest and shoulder - "have to make sure I get it all" - and then their mouths met once more, and Sev let out an "mmmmm" at the taste of champagne on Dooku's tongue. As they kissed, Dooku "accidentally" spilled champagne down Sev's other shoulder, and Sev cried out when Dooku went right to kiss and lick and nibble his shoulder, lick his way to the nipple, sucking hard, tugging it with his teeth, lapping some more.  
  
"Dammit Yan, fuck me..."  
  
"So impatient." Dooku licked Sev's nipple more slowly, and suckled again, then licked his way back to Sev's shoulder and then kissed and licked Sev's neck and throat.  
  
"Oops." Sev poured out half his glass of champagne over Dooku's chest, and leaned in to bathe the chest hair with his tongue. He teased each nipple with his tongue for even longer than Dooku had teased him, sucking harder, and by the time Sev was done, any shred of patience Dooku had was gone. He rose, used the Force to put his champagne glass on the opposite ledge of the hot tub, and then he threw Sev over his shoulder, barbarian-style, and carried him out of the hot tub, out of the fresher to the bed. On the way there Dooku grabbed towels with the Force, and moved the champagne bottle and glasses ahead of them, to set down on the table by the bed.  
  
Dooku threw Sev onto the bed and climbed over him, Sev giggling madly; Sev immediately opened his legs and arched to him, and Dooku groaned at the sight of his puckered hole, knowing soon he'd be in there. But if Sev wanted to tease... two could play at that game. Using the Force, Dooku brought over his half-full glass of champagne, and poured the rest of its contents down Sev's chest over each nipple, and then over Sev's navel, cock, and balls. He got to work on Sev's nipples, passionately licking them, suckling hard, rubbing one with his finger and thumb while he lapped and sucked the other. He kissed and licked Sev's stomach, kissed and licked and nibbled his navel, and then just licked and licked and licked the champagne from Sev's cock and balls. Sev writhed, nails raking Dooku's shoulders and back, almost sobbing in his frenzied need.  
  
Dooku relented just a little by taking Sev's cock into his mouth... and then sucked slowly, rubbing his tongue as he sucked. Sev screamed and whimpered, begging "Please... please..."  
  
Dooku continued to suck Sev slowly, stroking himself lazily, enjoying Sev's response, savoring Sev's cock in his mouth. The taste of Sev's precum mixed with the lingering notes of champagne was delicious. Even more delicious was what he could feel across their Force bond. Dooku slipped a finger into Sev, rubbing the nub inside him in slow, lazy circles. Sev was howling now, louder when one finger became two.  
  
"Dammit, I need you in me..." Sev panted.  
  
Dooku let Sev's cock slip from his mouth, and with a smirk he used the Force to take Sev's half-full glass of champagne and pour it over Sev's exposed ass, watching the champagne rush inside. Sev cried out, and again when Dooku's tongue dipped inside him.  
  
"_Fuck!_" Sev's nails raked Dooku's shoulders again. "You fucking tease..."  
  
Dooku stopped licking for a moment. "You did say you need me in you..."  
  
Sev let out a growl. Dooku laughed at him before putting his tongue back inside him.  
  
Dooku rubbed his tongue hard and fast, and soon Sev was thrusting against his mouth, fucking his face. Dooku ate Sev with hungry abandon, until he could feel across their Force bond that Sev was ready to come... then he stopped, and began to lick very, very slowly. Sev screamed and cried, begging "Please, please, _please_" again. He was shaking, even his thighs were quivering, and Dooku laughed at his handiwork, his cock throbbing at the way Sev was in heat for it.  
  
Dooku used the Force to retrieve lube from their travel bags, bringing it over to the bed. He came up to lick the precum from Sev's cock, and then kissing him deeply, he slicked his fingers and stretched Sev with one, two, then three fingers, rubbing slowly, then faster. When Sev was fucking his fingers again, he knew it was time, and he slicked his own cock, Sev's eyes riveted. The touch of his own hand almost brought him off right then and there; fighting his own release, he began to push into his bondmate.  
  
Dooku fucked Sev slowly, kissing him again and again. He shivered at Sev's hands running over him, and moaned when Sev began to kiss his neck, then his nipples. He looked over at the bedside table and used the Force to just lift the bottle of champagne, and poured it over Sev's body. Then Sev used the Force to tilt the bottle and poured the rest of it over Dooku's chest. Feverishly, they took turns licking each other, and Dooku sped up inside Sev, with Sev's hips bucking, matching his rhythm, giving back as good as he got.  
  
With Sev's legs on his shoulders, Dooku pounded him into the mattress, loving the sweet sting of Sev's nails raking his back, the way Sev's cries were punctuated by the slap of their flesh. The wild, desperate look in Sev's eyes brought him close to the edge, and he kissed Sev hard, growling into the kiss. Sev whimpered between kisses, and then gasped out, "Please, Yan..."  
  
Dooku continued thrusting for a moment longer, driving them both crazy, and then Dooku rasped, "Come for me," before he gave Sev a deep, passionate kiss.  
  
Crying out into the kiss, Sev's nails raking down Dooku's back all the way to his ass, hard enough to draw blood, Sev climaxed, and Dooku groaned at the feeling of Sev's hot cum spurting over his chest and stomach, the feeling of Sev twitching and throbbing around him. With three sharp jabs, Dooku pushed into his own release, calling out Sev's name as he spent deep inside him; Sev moaned at the feeling of Dooku coming inside him, letting out another blast of cum over Dooku's stomach.  
  
They rolled onto their sides and tangled up together, and rocked together. "I love you," Dooku heard himself saying, over and over again. "I love you. I love you..."  
  
"Oh, Yan." Sev stroked Dooku's face, and kissed him softly. "I love you too."  
  
They rested awhile, with Dooku still inside Sev, and then Dooku said, "We should go to the hotel restaurant and get a proper meal after having lived on field rations for the last day."  
  
"We should." Sev grinned. "But I want seconds."  
  
Dooku laughed, and kissed Sev hard. "Do you now."  
  
"Mmmmm." Sev kissed him harder. "You're what I'm hungry for."  
  
With that, Sev rolled Dooku onto his back. Dooku's cock hardened right up again, and he playfully smacked Sev's ass, kissing him deeply before Sev rode up to ride him. Dooku ran his hands over Sev's chest, and back up, to play with the nipples. Sev moaned and reached down to stroke himself; Dooku groaned at the delicious sight of it. He groaned again when Sev stuck precum-slick fingers in his mouth, enjoying the taste of his beloved.  
  
Sev leaned down to kiss him, then, and Dooku wrapped his arms around Sev, holding him tight. Sev slowed down the rhythm of their fucking as they kissed deeply, and then nuzzled, breathing each other's breath, lost in each other's eyes.  
  
"Welcome home, Master Dooku," Sev said, stroking his face.  
  
"You are my home."  
  
  
_  
  
Somehow they managed to get down to the hotel restaurant and have a meal, but then it was back to even more fucking in their hotel room, with Dooku taking Sev twice more, and the final act was them rubbing their cocks together to climax.  
  
They were up late, and Dooku intended on sleeping in for a change, but early in the morning, there was a knock on their door. Housekeeping wasn't supposed to come at this hour, and room service was only supposed to come when called; Dooku wondered if Qui or Obi needed something. Sev pulled up the covers around himself and Dooku threw on a bathrobe and walked to the door.  
  
On the other side of the door was a young man who was not Qui or Obi. Dooku didn't recognize him, and asked, "What can I do for you?"  
  
The man folded his arms. "You... don't know who I am, do you."  
  
And then it registered - they had the same dark hair and eyes, the same high cheekbones, the same patrician nose. The man was only slightly shorter than himself, and wore a brown cape - the color of House Dooku. "Yoren?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes."  
  
"How..." Dooku scratched his head. "How did you know I was here?"  
  
"Andraste told me."  
  
That made sense. "All right. Um... come in?" He felt awkward, considering he was naked under his bathrobe and Sev was naked under the covers, but he didn't know what else to do.  
  
Yoren Dooku followed his older brother into the hotel suite and the elder Dooku put on a pot of tea. Dooku heard Sev move from the bedroom to the fresher, presumably to dress. "I apologize," Dooku said. "If I'd known you were coming for a visit, I would have been ready..."  
  
Yoren waved his hand dismissively. "Why are you here?"  
  
Dooku thought that was a particularly odd question; he went with the truth. "My padawan and my partner's padawan are turning eighteen tomorrow. I decide to take them to my homeworld to celebrate."  
  
Yoren cocked his head to one side; Dooku felt the edge in the Force, even stronger than Andraste's had been. "And what else?"  
  
Andraste had told him about the marriage and adoption. Dooku raised an eyebrow. At that moment Sev came out, also in a bathrobe. "Ah, there. Severin, this is my brother Yoren. Yoren, this is my partner Severin Yusanis. We will be getting married the day after tomorrow, and I will be adopting my padawan and his as our sons."  
  
"I see." Yoren's face was blank, but Dooku felt the edge still.  
  
Dooku prepared the tea, and the next few minutes were awkward silence. When Dooku handed a mug of tea to Yoren, Yoren didn't drink right away, but just stared at his brother. Dooku gestured for Yoren to drink, and Yoren surprised him by saying, "You first."  
  
Dooku's eyebrows went up at that, and he took a sip of his tea. Yoren looked at Sev then and said, "You also."  
  
Dooku slammed down his mug. "What's going on? The tea isn't bloody poisoned, for kriff's sake."  
  
Yoren didn't reply to Dooku's question directly, but answered with a question of his own. "Who have you been in contact with, from here? Not Andraste, I take it."  
  
"What..." Dooku gave Yoren a confused look. "I haven't spoken to anyone from Serenno in twenty-two years, since I was taken by the Jedi."  
  
"Really? You expect me to believe that?"  
  
"Yoren..." Dooku used the Force to bring over the lightsaber from his utility belt. "I swear to you, on my honor as a Jedi, that I have not spoken to anyone here. Nobody knew I was coming. I really don't understand what the hostility is for."  
  
"So you mean to tell me nobody told you that Mother is dying, and you just happened to coincidentally show up right before she dies?"


	10. Chapter 10

Dooku looked at Sev, who raised an eyebrow, and then Dooku looked back at his younger brother and gave an awkward clear of his throat. "As the Jedi would say, brother, with the Force there are no coincidences. I don't know what you were told by our mother about my life before the Jedi took me -"  
  
"Not much, except she refused to speak your name at all," Yoren said, "which strongly suggests she unnamed you. I always thought that peculiar, since you were only six when you were taken and surely a six-year-old couldn't have done anything serious enough to justify being unnamed."  
  
"Yes, well. There is... a story behind that which I'd rather not get into right here and now, except to say that in full truth, I didn't simply come here for my padawan... I came here to get closure."  
  
"Is that what you're calling it." Yoren's nostrils flared.  
  
Dooku sensed the hostility had intensified, and he asked, "Do you care to explain to me why you're reacting like this? Is it poison from our mother? Because if so I _will_ tell you the story -"  
  
"It isn't obvious?" Yoren's eyebrows raised.  
  
"No, I'm afraid it's not. Please, explain to me why you and Andraste _both_ seem so on edge about me showing up here."  
  
"The timing of Mother being on her deathbed, and you are the eldest, and you just happen to arrive... to get married and claim an heir. You're contesting my claim as Count Dooku."  
  
"Is that what it is?" Dooku laughed. "I am a Jedi Knight, Yoren. I am returning to Coruscant in a week. I am not staying here. I have no intentions of contesting your claim - I have the entire weight of the Galaxy on my shoulders, I cannot spend it here as a 'regular citizen' even if I wanted to."  
  
The words hung there for a moment, in silence, and then Dooku watched as Yoren breathed a sigh of relief, and Dooku, in turn, also breathed a small sigh of relief.  
  
"All right," Yoren said. "That's good to know."  
  
"I _would_ like to keep in better touch with the family," Dooku said. "I'd intended to look up Andraste before he approached me first, being he works for the Department of Defense and saw my vessel incoming. So the marriage and adopted children is a way for me to have a place in Serennian culture, should I choose to not be such a stranger in the future. But I also don't see the value of doing things just for the sake of tradition - there should be a valid reason why these things are done, and in this case my love for my bondmate and our padawans is genuine, and formalizing the bond is a tangible display of that, a reassurance we could all use as of late. As I have invited Andraste to the ceremony - which I would like to keep small and private - I'd also like to extend the invitation to you and your wife if you so choose."  
  
"I would," Yoren said, "on the condition that when the time comes for Mother - it shouldn't be much longer - you would need to renounce your claim to..."  
  
Dooku waved his hand and simply nodded. "That is no problem, as I have said that does not interest me."  
  
"Are you very sure." Yoren folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "You are not yet thirty. It's fine and well for you to say that now, but what happens to older Jedi? Will you stay at the Temple forever? Won't you want to return to Serenno when you are old... in which case it would make sense for you to take the claim?"  
  
Dooku gave a small, sad smile. "Very few Jedi live to be old, Yoren. I have already watched several of my crechemates burn."  
  
There was more silence, as Yoren digested that, and Dooku and Sev were reminded of things they'd seen since they were Knighted; Sev quietly took Dooku's hand and squeezed it.  
  
Then Dooku finally asked, "So... on that note... our mother isn't very old at all. What is wrong with her? How is our father doing?"  
  
Yoren sighed deeply. He finally sat down on the kitchenette stool instead of standing at the counter, which had been making Dooku a bit nervous. He also finally drank his tea. "Our father died when I was ten. As you know he was away on business a lot, and as you know the Dooku family fortune is vast and includes shares in many different companies. Such wealth and power also brings enemies with it, and he was murdered by Hutts, from what I understand."  
  
Dooku just gave a small nod. It troubled him somewhat that he didn't have more of an emotional reaction to this news, but he barely knew his father, who had hardly ever been around.  
  
"As far as our mother..." Yoren pinched the bridge of his nose. "From what I've been told, she started drinking heavily not long after you were taken by the Jedi. I've... never known her sober, and it's been quite unpleasant. She's gone into multiple organ failure because of it, and it's not the sort of thing that can be reversed or repaired with transplants."  
  
Now tears came to Dooku's eyes, but not for her - for what Yoren had undoubtedly endured growing up with an alcoholic mother. This would also explain why Yoren would be more sympathetic to him having been unnamed by her, rather than taking her side and assuming he'd willingly done something terrible.  
  
Dooku sipped his tea, letting the warmth and fragrance soothe him, not wanting to cry in front of the brother he barely knew. Sev's hand was on the small of his back now, and he took comfort in that small touch. Dooku put down the mug of tea, took a deep breath, and asked, "Where is she? In hospital, or..."  
  
"She has requested to die at home," Yoren said, "so that's where she is. If you're wanting to see her I'd suggest doing it sooner rather than later, the doctors think she has days left if that."  
  
  
_  
  
  
Dooku hadn't thought of returning to his childhood home at all during his trip, let alone the first day, but here he was; he parked the rental speeder in the guest lot, and he and Sev climbed out to find Yoren waiting for them.  
  
The ancestral home of House Dooku was on the outskirts of Carannia, between the city and the "gardens", the local term for pristine, untouched forest that had been that way for the ten thousand years Serenno had been settled; Serenno had strict environmental laws. Plants were well-loved here, and Dooku had always loved the yellow roses covering the mansion where he'd spent the first six years of his life. He remembered hiding in them more than once, afraid of his mother, and it felt almost like the roses had a spirit of their own and sheltered him. He made a mental note to get a cutting for Qui-Gon to take back to the Temple and grow Serennian roses in the greenhouse.  
  
While the buildings in Carannia tended to be at least three stories high, the mansion was all one level, wide rather than tall. Dooku's nostalgia at seeing the roses turned into the old familiar feeling of dread as he set foot in the great hall - it was as if the place was haunted, the Dark Side energy of all of those horrible experiences trapped in the walls, clawing at him. Sev felt it across their Force bond and took his hand; Dooku closed his eyes and quietly thanked the Force for Sev.  
  
Dooku had never been allowed in his parents' room as a child, but he knew where it was, and his feeling of dread grew as he followed Yoren through the hall, past all the rooms, to the back of the mansion to the room that belonged to his mother and father, and as of late, his mother. His feet paused at his old room, which had been stripped of all its belongings and turned into yet another showcase for his mother's fancy antiques. But he kept moving, and it wasn't long before they were there. Sev patted Dooku's back and gave him a nudge forward, indicating he would wait outside; Dooku knew that had more to do with Sev needing to restrain himself from screaming at the woman for what happened to her son, than any respect for family privacy.  
  
Yoren cleared his throat as he stepped in the room. "Mother," he said, "Yan is here to see you."  
  
A derisive snort. "There is no one here by that name."  
  
She looked worse than Dooku had ever remembered. She had been a beautiful woman in her younger years, with rich auburn hair and blue eyes - he'd gotten his dark coloring from his father, she was of House Nalju. Now she had short wispy grey hair that was almost bald, a jaundiced complexion, sunken eyes, and leathery skin; drinking excessively had been hard on her. Her eyes were pale and washed out, and looked like ice as they focused on Dooku. Then she looked away quickly, refusing to acknowledge him.  
  
"Mother," Yoren pressed, "Yan has come a long way from Coruscant. He heard you were in ill health -"  
  
This wasn't quite the truth - Dooku had no idea of his mother's condition when he left, but he understood Yoren was trying to save face. He fought the urge to tell his brother to shut up.  
  
"Does he know why I am in ill health?" She snorted again.  
  
"I heard you've gone into multiple organ failure from drinking," Dooku said.  
  
"Yes." She looked at him again, and this time her gaze held, rather than looking away right away. "And that is _your_ fault."  
  
"How, exactly, is it my fault? I've been on Coruscant for the last twenty-two years. I may be Force sensitive, but I haven't been using Jedi mind tricks to make you put a bottle in your mouth every day." _If Jedi mind tricks worked that far of a distance, it would have been a blaster, you bitch._ Dooku immediately felt a sting of guilt as he thought those words, remembering Yoda's admonishment _hate leads to the Dark Side_ \- but the Jedi executed criminals all the time, and this was what this woman was.  
  
He had been wondering, to this point, why he was even here - he'd assumed he'd come for Yoren's sake, but he didn't know his brother that well, not enough to want to do something unpleasant as a personal favor to him. And it wasn't care or concern that motivated this trip either; he had no forgiveness for the woman, after she'd turned a blind eye to her lover abusing him, then tried to sentence him - a six-year-old boy - to death for defending himself, and _then_ drowned her sorrows, no doubt for her dead lover rather than her broken child, and hadn't been a proper mother to Yoren. He didn't expect any apologies from the woman, any reconciliation.  
  
It dawned on him now. _I am here to watch you die. To see it with my own eyes, so I know you can never hurt me again._  
  
Of course, logically, he knew he'd been safe from her for years now, living on Coruscant, trained as a Jedi Master. He could use the Force to choke her to death right now if he felt like it, the way he'd killed her lover who had raped him twenty-two years ago. But he still had nightmares about her, like a part of him was still trapped on Serenno, still cowering in fear of the woman who berated him daily for six years, had backhanded him at any sign of "weakness" because _a Count of Serenno does not cry or complain; we are born to take care of others, we do not have others take care of us._  
  
"You," she hissed, "killed a man. A man that I loved."  
  
"A man who _raped_ me," Dooku said, his voice shaking.  
  
Sev came in the room now, to stand beside Dooku. He took Dooku's hand and squeezed. Dooku squeezed back.  
  
"You're not just a murderer, you're a lying little _shit_."  
  
"I. Was. Six. Years. Old," Dooku growled. "Do you think a _six year old boy_ has the capacity of knowledge to make up something like _that?_ Truly? I was not lying. He hurt me repeatedly. I finally defended myself, and _you_wanted me put to death."  
  
Yoren stepped back, looking visibly upset by this information. Dooku let go of Sev's hand and stepped forward, feeling strangely emboldened.  
  
"Did you come here seeking an apology?" his mother snarled. "Because you're not getting one. You made my life fucking _miserable_ well before that incident even happened... and the strain of explaining the death to people drove me to drink..."  
  
"Yes, blame it on me, don't take responsibility for your own actions. I'm not seeking an apology from you, because you'd never admit to any kind of wrongdoing. I'm not seeking reconciliation of any kind."  
  
"So why are you even here?"  
  
Dooku smiled; it was not a pleasant smile. "I came to watch you die."  
  
"And yet you claim to be the victim, with an attitude like that you should understand why I suspected treachery from you all those years ago. All you ever did was show off your... monstrosity... and humiliate me."  
  
"If I was half the monster you think I am, I would have come here and killed you years ago. But I'm not." Dooku folded his arms. "And neither are you, even though you tried to be. You're a sad little woman, who drowns herself with alcohol and makes herself feel good by bullying children. You're pathetic. And you are dying a sad, pathetic little death. How powerful you must feel right now, Anara."  
  
That he called her by her given name and not Mother was the final slap in the face. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared, and she gave into a coughing fit.  
  
Dooku turned on his heel to leave the room. Sev swore violently in Ylleni before he also turned and began ushering Dooku out. Yoren had already left the room; they nodded in mutual acknowledgment as Dooku started down the hall, on his way out of the mansion, and then Dooku stopped and came back a few steps.  
  
"Can you holocall the hotel and let me know when she dies?" Dooku asked.  
  
Yoren nodded.  
  
"Also... when you show up for the ceremony, can you bring a cutting of the roses? I'd like my padawan to be able to grow them."  
  
"I can do that." Yoren took a deep breath. "I'm -"  
  
"You're not the one who has to apologize." Dooku folded his hands and gave a small, polite bow, then he and Sev were off.  
  
  
_  
  
  
A few minutes into their speeder ride away from the mansion, Dooku pulled over, got out of the speeder, and threw up.  
  
When he climbed back in he was shaking, and Sev made him climb over so he could drive. "Where are we going?" Sev asked. "You want to go back to our room?"  
  
"Not yet." Dooku rubbed his face, willing his trembling hands to calm down, annoyed that they wouldn't.  
  
"All right. Do you have a place in mind?"  
  
"Er." Dooku pinched the bridge of his nose, and thought. "There are beaches."  
  
"If it's beaches, plural, pick one."  
  
Dooku asked the speeder's GPS system for coordinates to Denali Beach, and Sev began to fly the speeder to those coordinates. They flew there in silence, but every now and again Sev turned his head to look at Dooku, and the loving concern in his eyes made Dooku want to cry. He didn't know why he was trying to be strong, Sev never faulted him for crying, but...  
  
After they'd been walking down the shore awhile, watching the low tide roll in, Dooku finally fell apart, and Sev stopped and just held him.  
  
"There. Let it out." He nuzzled Dooku and kissed his forehead. "You were very brave."  
  
"I don't feel brave at all," Dooku said. "I feel broken."  
  
"From our deepest wounds... that's where the Light gets in." Sev took Dooku's hands and kissed them; that was when Dooku noticed Sev was crying too, crying for him, with him.  
  
Dooku wept afresh, and Sev held him and rocked him, murmuring soothing noises. Low tide became high tide, washing over their bare feet.  
  
They continued to walk some more; the tide brought in shells, and Dooku picked one up, thoughtfully rolling it around in his hand.  
  
"So you used to come here as a kid?" Sev asked.  
  
Dooku nodded.  
  
"It must have been very special to you, if it was the first place you thought of going after..." Sev didn't need to finish the sentence.  
  
Dooku stopped walking and just looked at the ocean, which seemed endless. "The waves never stop pushing and pulling... and to my small boy's mind I found that constant... comforting. It was as if this was the metaphor the Force used to remind me that life goes on."  
  
It was a cloudy morning, and there was no one else on the beach. Dooku watched with surprise as Sev stripped out of his Jedi robes, leaving them in haphazard piles on the sand.  
  
"What are you doing?" Dooku asked.  
  
"Baking a cake," Sev snarked.  
  
Dooku glared; Sev grinned. Then Sev gestured to the waves rolling in. "The waves tell you life goes on... let's greet them, and let them wash away her energy."  
  
Dooku sometimes wondered if Sev was a bit mad, as even on a summer day, a cloudy day like today meant the ocean was somewhat cold. But there he was, wading into the waves. Dooku found himself stripping and following him in.  
  
They went as far as their chests, and held each other, shivering. Dooku started to cry again, equally from the shock of the cold as the shock of finally confronting his mother after all these years, and Sev rocked him and pet him; Sev's hands came out of the ocean water and stroked his face, washing away the tears.  
  
They continued holding each other, the waves crashing over their shoulders, and the clouds parted, rays of sunshine peeking through. Sev looked up and smiled, and Dooku took a deep breath.  
  
They didn't stay long in the cold water - just long enough for the symbolism to take effect and snap Dooku out of the despair he'd felt since leaving the mansion. He was still shaken, coming back to the shore, but he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, somehow.  
  
He frowned as he put his robes back on, which had been sitting in the sand. "I'm going to be cleaning sand out of these for the next ten years," he lamented.  
  
"Do you hate sand?"  
  
"I don't hate sand, I just don't like getting it... places."  
  
Sev laughed at that, the loud, wild laugh that Dooku loved so much.  
  
They decided to have brunch at a nearby restaurant with a view of the beach; Sev ordered a seafood platter and Dooku enjoyed watching him sample the different kinds of seafood, eating with gusto. On the way back to the hotel Sev kept the speeder windows open, so a nice breeze blew in. Dooku was feeling almost relaxed by the time they got back to their suite.  
  
Sev started taking off his robes immediately. "I hope they have a cleaning service here," Sev said. "I can see what you mean about getting sand, uh, everywhere."  
  
Dooku laughed. "Aren't you glad I told you to pack more than one change of clothing?"  
  
Sev rolled his eyes. "Yes, dear."  
  
They showered together, to rinse off the sand; Dooku felt a bit bad about losing the salt smell of the sea with it, but not bad enough. They just held each other for a long time underneath the hot water, Dooku leaning on Sev, Sev petting him, rocking him.  
  
"It's all right, Yan." Sev kissed him softly.  
  
One kiss led to another, and then they were sensually lathering each other, caressing, teasing, cocks rubbing together as they rinsed off. They kept their bodies close as they made their way out of the shower, trying to keep their cocks together somehow as they walked to the bed. After they fell onto the bed, they rubbed more insistently, kissing deeply, hands roaming.  
  
Once again, Dooku's mind strayed to the question Qui had asked, of why he didn't bottom for Sev, if it was so pleasurable... and though Sev had never asked that of him or expected it of him, understanding his history, Dooku had been feeling since that question that perhaps he was being unfair to Sev, somehow.  
  
Here and now, Dooku felt like he was also being unfair to himself. He needed to reclaim that part of him, replace bad memories with good ones, once and for all.  
  
Dooku looked into Sev's eyes, and whispered, "I want you to fuck me."  
  
Sev pulled back, blinking slowly, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Then he said, simply, "No."  
  
"...No?" Dooku frowned. "Why not?"  
  
"Not today." Sev sat up.  
  
"You must know, from our Force bond, that I'm being honest with you about my desire. This is something I want -"  
  
"Just because you want it, doesn't mean you're ready for it," Sev said. He folded his arms. "Look. Yan. We've been intimate for twelve years? And seven of those have involved penetrative sex... always you fucking me, never me fucking you. This is... a big deal. I'm not opposed to the idea of fucking you - I'll be really honest, it's something I've fantasized about for years, never told you about because I didn't want you to feel pressured into doing something you don't want to do, especially with your trauma history. But it's precisely because of that trauma history that I want you to be really, really sure, and really, really ready."  
  
Dooku pulled him back into him, and wrapped his arms around Sev tightly. "Sev, I'd like to do this while we're on Serenno. That means this week, sometime. You taking me here, on my homeworld, where things happened... it will help with closure. Reclaiming."  
  
Sev nodded. "All right, but that doesn't mean today. Give yourself at least a day to think about it and make sure it's what you really want to do. Please _do not_ feel like you have to in order to make me happy if you don't want to -"  
  
Dooku silenced Sev with a kiss. "I really want this, Severin." He stroked Sev's face, his whiskers, his curls. "I want _you._ The man I trust with my heart."  
  
"Oh, Yan."  
  
Dooku held Sev close for a minute, stroking his curls, wanting Sev to feel the love in his touch.  
  
A moment later, Sev picked up his head and kissed him back. "Besides..." He gave Dooku a wicked grin. "I've been thinking about your cock in me since we were at the beach."  
  
Dooku rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Have you, now."  
  
"Mhm." Sev kissed him again, and he took both their cocks into his hand, stroking them slowly. Dooku groaned at the feel of it, and again when Sev's free hand played with a nipple. "I would have ridden you right there on the beach, but not only did we not have lube with us, we would have gotten sand everywhere even more than we did."  
  
Dooku shook his head and laughed. "That would have been a nightmare."  
  
"Yeah, as strong as we are in the Force, I don't think there's enough Jedi butt tricks to clean that out."  
  
Dooku's eyes widened from shock - all these years and Sev still said ridiculous things that caught him off guard, and made him give in to painful belly laughter, eyes tearing up. Sev laughed even harder at the sight of it, and the knowledge that he'd broken that iron reserve. Sev laughed so hard he involuntarily snorted, and the sound of that set Dooku off even more, until he was making high pitched sounds that made Sev laugh harder, and snort more. It was quite a scene, and Dooku was glad it was just the two of them in the room.  
  
"Dammit, Sev," Dooku wheezed. "_Jedi butt tricks._ Why are you like this?"  
  
"I don't know," Sev said, stealing a kiss. Then he gave a playful kiss to the tip of Dooku's nose, green eyes twinkling with mischief "I think finding the answer to that requires some very thorough investigation." He wiggled his eyebrows at Dooku. "You'll have to probe really deep."  
  
Dooku kissed Sev hard. "Hmmm, yes. For science."  
  
"For science." Sev grinned and kissed him back, and they both laughed.  
  
Sev stopped laughing when Dooku picked him up and maneuvered him so Sev was sitting on his face; Dooku got right to work exploring, with his tongue.


	11. Chapter 11

Four hours after they were Knighted, twenty-one-year-old Yan Dooku and Severin Yusanis made their way to the youngling creche.  
  
Teenage padawans were sometimes expected to volunteer with the small younglings, such as by reading them stories, or playing Force games with them such as push-feather. One of the younglings, a boy named Qui-Gon Jinn, had taken a particular shine to Dooku. When Qui was nine and Dooku nineteen, Qui had asked Dooku to apprentice him.  
  
Dooku and Sev had discussed that - indeed, they discussed everything - and they had, for a time, wondered if Qui might be better served with Sev as his Jedi Master, since they were closer in personality and temperament, while Dooku apprenticed Qui's best friend Obi-Wan Kenobi, being closer to him in personality and temperament. The two ultimately decided the boys needed the challenge of having a Master with different perspectives, so Dooku was coming to the creche to grant Qui's wish.  
  
Qui and Obi shared a room, and they were there now; Obi was reading on his bed, and Qui was coloring a picture. As soon as he saw Dooku and Sev outside their door, he dropped what he was doing, bounced off his bed, and ran over to give Dooku a fierce hug. Dooku chuckled and hugged Qui tight, affectionately ruffling his hair.  
  
"Congratulations on becoming a Jedi Knight," Qui said.  
  
"Thank you," Dooku said. "And now... I will also become a Jedi Master."  
  
Qui's eyes lit up. "You mean..."  
  
"Yes." Dooku patted his head. "I am here to let you know I am claiming you as my padawan learner."  
  
"And you," Sev said; Obi looked up at him. Then Obi put his tablet down, climbed off his bed, slowly walked over to Sev, and Sev gave him a hug.  
  
The boys would continue to live in the youngling creche until they were fourteen, at which point they would move in with their respective Masters. As of this morning, Dooku and Sev had been given their own quarters, adjacent to each other, with Sev's being a short walk from the back entrance of the Temple, leading out to the Temple Gardens. They walked back together, and as they approached their dorms, Dooku took Sev's hand. He opened the door to his quarters, shoved Sev inside, and closed the door behind them.  
  
Dooku slammed Sev up against the door and kissed him hard. Sev kissed him back, and began fumbling with Dooku's Jedi robes. Dooku reached to help Sev out of his, and soon their clothes were puddled on the floor and they were there naked. Sev ran his hands over Dooku's body, making him tremble, and kissed him again, walking him backwards towards the direction of his bedroom, kissing and caressing all the way there.  
  
Sev had taken a shower before they went to the creche, and his skin tasted of the floral body wash he used; Dooku made an approving "mmmm" as he kissed Sev's neck, down his way to Sev's chest. Sev moaned and clutched Dooku's head as Dooku latched onto a nipple with his teeth, soothing with slow strokes of his tongue.  
  
Dooku turned his head to love the other nipple, and Sev arched to him, howling. His nails dug into Dooku's back and he whimpered, "Yan, please..."  
  
"What's the rush?" Dooku gave Sev a wicked grin. He licked a slow, lazy circle around the nipple before licking it faster, harder, then suckled, making Sev cry out.  
  
"Dammit Yan, I've been aching for this all day." Then their eyes met, and Sev husked, "Technically, I've been aching for this for a good year and a half."  
  
Dooku had wanted to wait until their Jedi trials were over and they had been Knighted before taking this step with him, and here they were. As Dooku continued licking and sucking Sev's nipples, he noticed as Sev used the Force to bring out a jar of lubricant that they previously had used when Dooku used toys in Sev's ass. He laughed before tugging a nipple with his teeth. "Patience, love."  
  
"Please, Yan. Dammit, I need..."  
  
Dooku let go of the nipple in his mouth and gave an exaggerated sigh. "You want me inside you, do you?"  
  
"More than anything in the Galaxy."  
  
Dooku used the Force to pull the jar of lube close to himself, and the delight was obvious on Sev's face as he opened the jar; then Sev gave him a lustful look as he applied the lube to his cock. Dooku was, truthfully, pretty pent up himself - he hadn't forgotten his promise to Sev, it had been on his mind all day as well, and he almost brought himself off with his own hand. But he fought back his release... and his impulse to give in to Sev right away. He leaned down to put his head between Sev's thighs, groaning with desire as he pushed his tongue into Sev's channel.  
  
Sev writhed and screamed at the slow rubbing inside him. "Yan..."  
  
Dooku laughed and stopped licking for a moment. "Well, you did say you want me inside you... this is inside you." He resumed licking.  
  
"Fucking _hell_, Yan..."  
  
"Mmmmmmm." Dooku licked even more slowly, reveling in the way it made Sev lose control.  
  
And lose control he did. For the next twenty minutes Dooku teased Sev with his tongue, speeding up, slowing down, lashing the sweet spot inside him until Sev couldn't make words, only inhuman noises, shaking from head to toe as his cock leaked so much precum the entire shaft glistened from it. As Dooku devoured his bondmate, he stroked himself slowly, but at last the teasing got too much for him too, noticing he was stroking himself faster and harder, his own cock leaking, his balls aching. So Dooku stopped, taking his tongue out of Sev's ass. He couldn't resist just a little more teasing of Sev, though, finding his responses too delicious - he licked the head of Sev's cock, lapped the precum trailing down the shaft, and licked back up to take just the head into his mouth, kissing it, working his tongue as he sucked, making Sev scream and sob with need.  
  
Dooku came up to kiss Sev, sharing the taste of his precum, and Sev groaned into the kiss. His nails dug into Dooku's back again. "Yan, please." Sev's eyes locked with his. "_Please._"  
  
Dooku slicked his fingers and pushed one into Sev, kissing him deeply as his finger found the prostate right away, stroking in slow, lazy circles. One finger became two, then three, and when Sev was fucking his fingers he knew Sev was more than ready. Dooku applied another coat of lube to his cock, just to be on the safe side, and he guided the head to Sev's opening.  
  
Even though Sev had used a dildo many times, it was still a different experience to take a real cock. Dooku pushed in slowly, not wanting to hurt Sev, but he could feel how tight he was, and that Sev was shielding the initial pain and discomfort from him. "Do you need me to stop?" Dooku asked.  
  
"Don't stop," Sev hissed.  
  
Dooku kept going and Sev pushed out as he pushed in. At last he was all the way in, and Sev relaxed; they took each other's hands, and Sev started to cry - not from pain, but from joy.  
  
"I love you so much," Sev whispered.  
  
Dooku kissed him with all of his passion. "I love you." He stroked Sev's face, and began to thrust, slowly.  
  
It was as if they had been custom built for each other, the slight curve of Dooku's cock hitting Sev's prostate just the right way, Sev's silken heat a perfect fit wrapping around him like a glove. Sev felt so good to him, and his cock pushing in and out of Sev's opening was such an erotic sight that Dooku had to fight off his release again, wanting to hold back, not just to make sure Sev came first, but he wanted to savor this. He had never felt more alive, more fully in tune with life, as he was in the sweet sensations of moving in and out of Sev, the pressure and friction, tension building into all-consuming need. But it was also beyond the physical... the feeling of being held inside his bondmate, welcome, accepted, _loved_. Their Force energy wound together, Force signatures linked, Sev's waterfall pouring into his sea, his sky burning with Sev's fire, lit into a sunset of infinite color. As he drove into Sev, faster and harder, and Sev's hips rolled back against his, matching his rhythm, urging him on, it felt as if they were one need, the hunger of the Living Force itself. And when Sev climaxed, shooting all over him, and he erupted deep into Sev, burying his face in Sev's chest, the throbbing of his orgasm in time with the pulse of Sev's heart... there was that feeling of oneness with the Force, the pulse of life itself, all space, all time, infinite.  
  
Sev was crying again.  
  
"Did I hurt you?" Dooku asked, picking up his head.  
  
Sev shook his head; he was grinning, that radiant smile that lit up Dooku's whole world. "Fuck no." He kissed Dooku softly. "That was fucking awesome."  
  
Dooku nodded. "Indeed it was." He kissed Sev back; Sev's tears of joy brought tears to his own eyes, and Sev wept harder at the sight of them. They kissed each other's tears and nuzzled, foreheads together, breathing each other's breath.  
  
Sev wrapped his arms around Dooku and they rolled onto their sides and Dooku put his arms around Sev also, the two of them rocking together, Dooku still inside Sev.  
  
"That was even better than I thought it would be," Sev purred. "Even better than my fantasies."  
  
"And it will get even better with time, and practice," Dooku said.  
  
"Mmmmmmm." Sev kissed him hard. "I don't understand why the Order forbids this."  
  
Dooku pulled back one of his arms and showed Sev his hand, which was still tingling, and was glowing faintly. "They probably think we'd become too powerful."  
  
"But if we're using that power to help others...?"  
  
"Oh, I agree, it's a stupid rule," Dooku said. He put his arm back around Sev and rubbed Sev's back with the tingling energy, making Sev shiver and giggle. "We still have to be careful. More careful, now... we'll be under scrutiny with our padawans."  
  
Sev rolled his eyes. "Master Aboru read me the riot act about that yesterday when I told her I was claiming Obi-Wan, she thinks I should have waited at least one to three years. It's unprecedented for someone to take a padawan so soon after being Knighted."  
  
"A lot of what we're doing is unprecedented... but we're not like everyone else. And if we ever plan on changing the Order for the better... it necessarily means not doing as everyone else has done for the last thousand years plus."  
  
Sev kissed the tip of his nose. "I like the way you think, Master Dooku."  
  
_That has a nice ring to it._ Dooku smirked. "Do you really? Even when I torment you?"  
  
"Mmmmm." Sev kissed him, and nibbled his lower lip. "Especially when you torment me."  
  
"Well then..." Dooku rolled Sev onto his back. "I'll have to test that." He started kissing Sev's neck, and encouraged by Sev's moans, found his way back to Sev's nipples.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Dooku's eyes flew open to the buzzing sound of the communication console.  
  
In the dark, he sat up, and saw the flashing light. He climbed out of bed and stumbled over to the console and tapped it on. "Yes?"  
  
The hologram of the hotel receptionist greeted him. "You have a call from Count Yoren Dooku."  
  
The _Count_ title wasn't lost on him; Yoren wouldn't be able to claim that title until both of their parents were dead. He already knew what the call was about, but he simply nodded and said, "Put it forward."  
  
The hologram winked out, and there was a wait screen that tried to be charming, with gilded leaves and smooth jazz, but was mostly just annoying at this hour. Dooku heard Sev putter into the bathroom, grumbling at the rude awakening - Sev was even less of a morning person than he was. Finally, the hologram of his brother appeared.  
  
"Yoren," Dooku said, trying to sound pleasant. "What brings you to call at this hour." He knew perfectly damn well.  
  
"Our mother has passed on," Yoren said. "The funeral is being held tomorrow, if you wish to attend."  
  
Today was Qui and Obi's birthday, and tomorrow Dooku was planning on having the wedding and adoption ceremonies. He wasn't quite in the mood for attending the funeral, but on the other hand, seeing that his mother was well and truly dead, felt like a thing he needed to do to have closure. "Morning or afternoon?" He'd wanted to have the wedding and adoption ceremonies first thing in the morning.  
  
"Late morning, 1100."  
  
Dooku considered that for a minute, weighing his reluctance against his need to see her lifeless body. "All right. Is she being buried or cremated?"  
  
"Both. She requested to have her remains burned, and a tree planted on top of them." The tree planting was Serenni custom, dating from when they lived as a separate ethnic group on Alderaan, and before that, wherever his ancient ancestors came from. Cremation had only been in fashion the last few generations. It was like his mother enough to want to be fashionable with new trends while still clinging to tradition.  
  
"I'll be there. You can escort us, since this will be after the other ceremonies. I'll see you at 0900 tomorrow?"  
  
"That works for me."  
  
Yoren ended the transmission then, without further pleasantries; Dooku was relieved by that, still feeling awkward around his brother. Dooku heard the sound of the toilet, then the sink, and Sev flipped on a light and staggered into the kitchen to make a pot of caf.  
  
"That was my brother," Dooku told him.  
  
"I know." Sev nodded.  
  
"As you know, my mother was on her deathbed, and he called to inform that she has in fact now passed on. Her funeral will be held after our ceremonies."  
  
Sev put a hand on his hip. "You really want to go pay your respects to that bitch?"  
  
"It's not paying respects." Dooku took a deep breath. "I need to make sure she's actually dead."  
  
Sev just stood there for a minute, letting the weight of those words hit him, and then he walked over from the kitchenette and put his arms around Dooku. Dooku welcomed the embrace, the two holding each other tight for a few minutes. Then Sev pulled back and stroked Dooku's cheek and beard, before kissing the tip of his nose, and sliding his lips down to claim his mouth.  
  
"I will never let anyone hurt you again," Sev husked.  
  
Dooku kissed him back, hard. As the kiss heated Dooku felt like marching Sev back towards the bedroom, but Sev brushed him off laughing softly. "I need to go food shopping," Sev said, using the Force to pull over his clothing.  
  
"Wh... what?" Dooku was confused, being they had room service, a good restaurant in the hotel, and there were hundreds of other fine restaurants in Carannia, and they had plenty of credits to spend.  
  
"It's the boys' birthday and I want to make them a cake."  
  
"You can't just order one?"  
  
Sev gave Dooku a look like he was speaking some unintelligible language. "Sure I could do that, but why? Nothing tastes better than homemade, and the boys deserve that extra loving care."  
  
Dooku sighed; Sev was ridiculous and a bit impractical at times, but that was one of the things he loved about him, especially when that ridiculousness was in going the extra mile to show kindness to someone. "All right." Dooku grabbed his own clothing and began to change.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Sev and Dooku treated Qui and Obi to dinner at the hotel restaurant, letting them get whatever they want.   
  
"Oh boy." Qui didn't even look at the menu. "I just want three dishes of brownies and ice cream."  
  
Dooku gave him a stern look. "As you know, proper nutrition is important -"  
  
Sev shot Dooku an equally stern look. "It's his fucking birthday, let him get what he wants."  
  
Qui laughed. "Nah, I was just kidding." He gave Obi a wicked grin and said, "You know how I love my veggies."  
  
That suggested something Dooku didn't want to know about, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and made a noise, making a louder one as Qui and Obi laughed.  
  
Qui and Obi did go through quite a bit of food, and somehow still had room for dessert; when the waiter asked if they wanted to see the dessert menu, Qui's eyes lit up and nodded. But then Sev said, "Ordinarily we'd oblige you but we have something waiting for you up in our suite."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Qui and Obi sat on the couch in Dooku and Sev's suite, waiting as Sev brought out a sheet cake, lit with eighteen candles. Dooku smiled... and then stopped smiling when he saw what Sev had written on the cake in red frosting: CONGRATS ON THE SEX.  
  
Qui and Obi found this hilarious, and Sev was proud of his handiwork. He cut the cake and served it; Dooku declined the piece that said SEX on it, not wanting further reminders of what his soon-to-be-adopted sons were about to get up to. Sev gave him the piece that said RATS instead.  
  
Dooku gave a disapproving look. "You know..."  
  
Sev patted his knee as he sat down with his own piece of cake. "I know."  
  
Qui and Obi thanked Sev for going to the trouble of baking the cake, and Sev blushed and said it was his pleasure and the least he could do for them. Qui then inquired about the wedding and adoption ceremony, to confirm it was tomorrow.  
  
"Yes, 0900. And then afterwards I have something I need to attend to," Dooku said.  
  
"We don't want reminders about your sex life either," Obi quipped.  
  
Dooku pursed his lips. "That's certainly on the menu but not until later. This is something else."  
  
Qui, sensing the unease in his Master, said, "What is it?"  
  
Dooku looked at Sev, and Sev nodded, gesturing for him to go on. "I have a funeral to attend," Dooku said. "My mother's funeral, to be precise."  
  
Qui stopped eating his cake and looked at Dooku open-mouthed. "Oh. Is that... why we're here? I'm so sorry -"  
  
Dooku waved his hand dismissively. "I actually didn't know about her condition before I came, I've had no contact with anyone from Serenno since I left here at age six. And... don't be sorry."  
  
"You don't need to give me platitudes about death and oneness with the Force -"  
  
"It's not platitudes, Qui-Gon." Dooku put his cake down and shifted in his seat. "I've never told you much about my background, but I suppose now is the time to tell you... I was abused as a child. My abuser dying is not a sad event for me."  
  
Though Dooku hadn't revealed much about it, things were starting to click in Qui's head about why Dooku was the way he was. "I see."  
  
"We both have an abuse and trauma history," Sev spoke up. "My parents were assassinated and I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle and they were a bit less than kind to me." Sev looked at Dooku then, and stroked his face before taking his hand. "But we have each other." Sev looked at Qui and Obi. "All of you are my family."  
  
"Indeed," Dooku said.  
  
Qui gave a small, sad smile; Dooku felt the wave of sympathy for what he'd endured. "I'm glad the two of you have each other," he said.  
  
"How long have the two of you been together, anyway?" Obi asked.  
  
"We were sixteen when this started," Sev said.  
  
"Did you guys wait until you were eighteen to..." Obi raised his eyebrows.  
  
Dooku shook his head and said, "No, we were twenty-one when the full consummation happened."  
  
"Why so long?" Obi asked.  
  
Dooku and Sev looked at each other and Sev said, "We decided to wait until after our Jedi trials, and being Knighted, so our Force bond wouldn't interfere with each other's trials."  
  
"How come you're not telling us to wait, then?" Qui asked.  
  
"We have a trauma history that as far as we know, neither of you have," Dooku said. "Sev and I are both protective of each other because of what we know about each other's past, and that was why we thought we had a stronger likelihood of unintentionally interfering with each other's trials. We don't foresee that happening with you."  
  
Sev and Dooku looked at each other again, and smiled, and Sev went on, "And waiting as long as we did was fucking torture. We didn't want to inflict that on you by suggesting you wait that long."  
  
"We can just torture you in other ways," Dooku joked.  
  
"You do a fine job of that with your lectures, Master," Qui said.  
  
Dooku glared. Qui grinned.  
  
After more cake, and ice cream, Obi was eager to return to the suite he and Qui were sharing and get down to celebrating, but Qui lingered for a moment. "Master, may I speak with you for a bit?" Qui asked.  
  
"Sure," Dooku said.  
  
Sev departed to the fresher to clean up in anticipation of certain activities, and Dooku made them some tea.  
  
"I wish you had told me about all that sooner," Qui said. "I would have been more understanding of how you are if -"  
  
Dooku shook his head. "It's not an excuse; I shouldn't have been so hard on you, and I should have realized how it felt to be that child who couldn't do anything right."  
  
"How... bad... was the abuse, if you don't mind me asking?"  
  
Dooku leaned back in his chair. "Most of it was verbal, occasionally it was physical. It was entirely from my mother, as my father was hardly around, I think he was present a grand total of four times in the first six years of my life that I remember. But there was... something else. Something that resulted in me being brought to the Jedi Order. Something that until now, only Sev has known about."  
  
Qui raised an eyebrow.  
  
Dooku sighed. "When I was six, my mother had a lover who was... inappropriate with me. He forced himself on me, and I was too small to be able to fight him off. Except one night I used the Force and... choked him to death, in self-defense. My mother didn't believe me that he had been hurting me, she thought I made it up, and she wanted to have me executed. My older cousin Andraste, who you will be meeting tomorrow, called the Jedi Order and asked them to come get me; with Serenno being on the Outer Rim, there was only midichlorian testing every ten years and I otherwise would have been eight or nine when the Order came around."  
  
"I'm so sorry," Qui said.  
  
Dooku nodded. "You asked why I haven't bottomed for Sev... that's why. Except... lately, I've been thinking about it, and thinking it's something I'd like to do to reclaim my body and heal from the past."  
  
Qui tried not to make a face, wanting to be supportive of his Master, but Dooku recognized the discomfort across their Force bond and laughed. "I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. I know that was too much information."  
  
"No, I understand," Qui said.  
  
"Can I ask you a very personal question?" Dooku couldn't believe he was doing this.  
  
"I suppose?"  
  
"I take it that in preparation of... this evening... you and Obi-Wan have been experimenting? Sev says he bought you some, er, toys."  
  
Qui nodded.  
  
"Does it hurt?" Dooku asked.  
  
"Honestly?" Qui shook his head. "It's uncomfortable for the first minute but once I get adjusted it's... it feels amazing. Very intense pleasure. And... I trust Obi-Wan not to hurt me."  
  
Dooku nodded. "Thank you. I know this sounds very strange to hear, but this is a case of the padawan giving the Master courage, instead of the other way around."  
  
"I'm proud of you," Qui told him, sincerely. "Being willing to take a step like that is... a big deal. And I know how much Sev loves you. You can trust him."  
  
Dooku nodded. "I trust him with my life," Dooku said, meaning it, "and this... is life. This is living, instead of just surviving."  
  
Qui came over and gave Dooku a hug; Dooku hugged him back and patted his back.  
  
"I don't want to keep Obi waiting too long," Qui said.  
  
"I know." Dooku smiled. "Enjoy your evening, padawan."  
  
"Thank you, Master."  
  
Then before Qui could exit the suite Dooku said, "No, not simply padawan anymore... son."  
  
"Father."  
  
Qui ran back and hugged him again, this time for longer. Both of them got choked up, and before they could both break down crying, Qui ruffled Dooku's hair, laughed at the glare it produced, and then scampered off.  
  
After the suite door closed and Dooku had been sitting alone for a moment, Dooku got up and walked to the fresher. He disrobed outside the fresher door, and then he joined Sev in the shower; Sev pulled him in for a deep, hungry kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

When Qui arrived in his and Obi's suite, Obi was already naked on the bed, propped up on one elbow, hard and stroking himself. Qui shook his head, laughing.  
  
"I see you're already ready," Qui said.  
  
"What makes you think that?" Obi gave a mischievous grin.  
  
"As you know..."  
  
Obi used the Force to throw a pillow at Qui, and Qui used the Force to throw it back at him. Obi ducked just before it could hit him in the face, and Qui used the distraction to raise up a pillow from the other end of the bed and have it hit Obi's face. Obi gave him the finger, and Qui teased, "Don't stick up that finger at me unless you plan on using it."  
  
"Oh, I plan on using more than just this finger," Obi said. With that, he used the Force to begin undressing Qui, who laughed again, and let Obi demonstrate his Force skills with taking off his clothing. When Qui was completely naked, he pounced on the bed, landing on Obi with a growl.  
  
Obi wrapped his arms around Qui and kissed him deeply; Qui groaned at the feeling of Obi's body hair rubbing against him, especially his chest hair. He ran his hands over Obi's arms and legs, and then pulled back to caress the hairy chest, fingers threading through the chest hair. He couldn't resist rubbing the nipples, smiling as they peaked to his touch.  
  
"You're beautiful," Qui husked.  
  
Obi reached up to run his hands over Qui's body, and Qui shivered at his touch. "_You're_ beautiful," Obi breathed. He placed a hand on Qui's chest, over his heart. "Here most of all."  
  
Qui smiled tenderly; Obi's free hand stroked Qui's face. Then it brushed down the length of Qui's body, with Obi taking Qui's now-hard cock in his hand. "And here."  
  
Qui came down to kiss him, laughing into the kiss. "You've got a one-track mind," Qui said, before he started kissing Obi's neck.  
  
"Oh, it's not a one-track mind," Obi said. "It's at least sixty-nine tracks."  
  
Qui laughed harder, and kissed Obi again before kissing his neck with even more passion than before, loving the way Obi melted to that, arching and moaning, hips bucking with need. Qui kissed and nibbled the sweet spot where the neck meets the shoulder, and kissed down to Obi's nipple, tongue bathing it, suckling, making Obi writhe and whimper. When Qui turned his head and worked on the other one, the howl Obi produced made Qui's cock throb, and he felt precum start dripping over the head of his cock, down the shaft. He collected it on his fingers and shoved them in Obi's mouth; watching Obi suck and lick his fingers clean as he feasted on Obi's nipples made Qui even harder. He rubbed his cock against Obi's cock, balls rubbing balls, the two groaning together at the sweet friction.  
  
Qui collected more precum on his fingers for Obi to suck off, continuing to lick Obi's nipples at alternating speeds, sucking hard. Obi's cock was leaking now too, and Obi reached down to slick his fingers. But instead of putting them in Qui's mouth, he rubbed one of his taut nipples, inviting Qui to lick it clean. Qui's mouth was even hungrier now, tongue-lashing the nipples with fury, suckling even harder, nibbling, tugging each nipple with his teeth before more fast licking. Obi took both cocks in his fist and stroked them together, and after a few minutes he brought his hand to Qui's mouth, drenched with their mingled precum. Obi moaned as Qui licked and sucked his hand and fingers clean, not wanting to waste a drop. Then he kissed Obi-Wan passionately, sharing their taste with him.  
  
"Which of us should go first?" Obi looked up at him with wide, curious eyes.  
  
Qui didn't hesitate. "I'd like to be fucked first."  
  
Obi kissed Qui deeply, rolling him onto his back. Obi used the Force to retrieve their lube, previously only used on toys. Still kissing him, Obi reached between them and began to lube up his cock. The fingers of his free hand brushed around the outside of Qui's channel, and then one went in, finding the prostate right away. One finger became two, then three, until Qui was rolling his hips, fucking Obi's fingers. Qui bit Obi's lower lip, and Obi laughed at the hungry, desperate look in Qui's eyes.  
  
"I've been aching for this all day," Qui said.  
  
"And you say I have a one-track mind." Obi gave a playful kiss to the tip of Qui's nose.  
  
Qui's response was to grab Obi's head and kiss him almost violently, growling into the kiss; Obi's fingers fucked faster and harder inside him. "Fuck me _now_," Qui ground out.  
  
Obi relented. He poured lube directly into Qui's hole - Qui groaned as he felt it squirting inside him, his cock twitching with anticipation of how it would feel when Obi came inside him later - and then Obi guided his cock there, and started to push in, a little at a time. Even though Qui was familiar with putting objects up there, it was something else to take the length and thickness of Obi's cock; it pinched and burned at first, but he breathed through it, pushing out as Obi pushed in. When Obi was all the way in, they kissed again, Obi resting inside him, letting him get adjusted.  
  
Obi waited a few minutes, kissing Qui again and again, before he began to thrust, and then he went slowly; Qui knew he wanted to take it easy on him. But Qui's need was too great. He dug his nails into Obi's back, and growled, "Fuck me hard."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"More sure than I've ever been of anything in my life."  
  
Obi kissed him again, and then let Qui have it, pounding him fast and hard. Qui loved it; his legs found their way to Obi's shoulders, his nails raking Obi's back and hips. Across their Force bond Qui could feel how much Obi loved having his back clawed, the sweet sting burning away the last of his reserve, giving over to primal need. Qui moaned louder and louder as Obi fucked him harder and harder, Obi's balls slapping his ass, the wet suctioning sound of their fuck filling the room. "Just like that, yes, Obi..." Qui bit his lip and closed his eyes, opening them when Obi kissed him deeply.  
  
What felt as good as Obi's cock rubbing his prostate was the way his cock rubbed against Obi's stomach, the bit of grizzly hair trailing from chest to navel teasing the sensitive skin. The pressure of his cock caught between them, and the friction, brought Qui close to the edge, and he just stayed there, tension building and building, too delicious to stop. Across their Force bond he could feel Obi's cock gripped by his tight passage, the sweet silk stroking him to frenzy. Obi was fucking him so hard now the bed was rocking against the wall, and the heat in those blue eyes - hot as blue flame - brought him over the edge.   
  
"_Obi_," Qui choked out.  
  
It was a moment that felt like an eternity, time seeming to stop as his orgasm hit, feeling the eruption in his ass and balls at the same time, shooting up through his cock, blasting out wave after wave of cum all over Obi's stomach and chest; when Obi pulled back to thrust, the sight of his cum in Obi's ginger fur set off another orgasmic pulse, coating him even more.  
  
Two hard thrusts and Obi was done, and the feeling of Obi's cum flooding him sent Qui shooting again, throbbing, the pleasure almost unbearable. They kissed again, Qui's arms and legs wrapped around Obi, Qui's hands kneading like a cat, with claws. Obi made a purring noise like a cat, making Qui laugh, before kissing him again.  
  
"I love you," Obi said.  
  
"I know." Qui stroked his face; Obi's eyes were like the sky, and felt as endless. He was flying in them, soaring, his body weightless. "I love you too."  
  
They kissed again, rolling onto their sides.  
  
  
_  
  
  
Sev and Dooku stumbled from the shower to their bed, kissing all the way. They climbed onto the bed together and resumed kissing; after a few more kisses they just looked into each other's eyes, nuzzling.  
  
"So," Sev said, petting Dooku's beard, "you ready to do this?"  
  
Dooku nodded. "Yes."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You're really, really sure?"  
  
Dooku kissed Sev hard. "I am absolutely, positively, unequivocally sure, Severin."  
  
Sev laughed. "My, such fancy words."  
  
"You know what I meant, having an erudite vocabulary yourself."  
  
"You know what?" Sev rolled Dooku onto his back. "I think that until you completely lose the ability to use all that _erudite vocabulary_... you're not ready." He ran his hands over Dooku's chest, fingers playing with the chest hair. "I want you to want it so bad that you can't think, can barely talk... only beg, and even then, stop being able to even remember the word 'please'."  
  
Dooku shuddered; he loved teasing Sev and making him beg, and knowing Sev was going to make up for all of that now, and then some... Dooku let out a little sigh, cock twinging with anticipation.  
  
"But before we go there..." Sev put his hands on his hips. "I want you to want this. Don't do this because you think it's what I want and you feel like you have to in order to be 'fair'."  
  
"Sev..." Dooku took a deep breath. "I love you. And I trust you. When I was speaking with Qui a short while ago... I told him I trust you with my life, and I mean it." He took Sev's hands and put them on his heart. "I need to heal from this, and I want it to be with the man I trust. I need to trust you, give myself to you completely." He took Sev's hands and kissed them. "I need to feel you."  
  
Sev took Dooku's hands and kissed them, then squeezed them. Dooku could see Sev's eyes were too bright, shining with unshed tears, touched by his words, and the emotions he could feel across their Force bond. It brought tears to Dooku's own eyes.  
  
"I want to let go of the past," Dooku husked, "and move forward into my future... with you. With our family."  
  
"You want to let go, huh."  
  
Dooku nodded.  
  
"I'll teach you to let go."  
  
Dooku watched as Sev used the Force to unzip one of his travel bags, and out came a length of black silk scarf. Dooku's eyes widened as it flew over to the bed.  
  
Sev grabbed one of Dooku's arms and positioned his hand to grip the slats on the headboard, and tied his wrist in place. Then he did the same with the other. Sev took a moment to survey his handiwork, and then his eyes met Dooku's.  
  
"If you don't want that," Sev said, "tell me and I'll untie you." He stroked Dooku's face, and then his fingers trailed down Dooku's throat, to his chest, to begin rubbing a nipple in slow, lazy circles. "But... I meant what I said about getting you really, really ready. Just lie back and let go... let me take care of you."  
  
Dooku looked into Sev's eyes and nodded. "I consent."  
  
"Good." Sev leaned in to claim his mouth, kissing him tenderly, then more hungrily, both men groaning into the kiss. Dooku groaned again as he felt Sev's hard cock rubbing against his thigh, then his own hard, aching cock.  
  
Sev kissed him again and again, and then his lips moved to Dooku's neck. Dooku moaned as Sev kissed, licked, and nibbled his neck and throat, knowing how sensitive he was there; just that alone threatened to undo him. Sev looked down at Dooku's dripping cock and smiled. "Already you're this worked up and I haven't even gotten started yet," Sev whispered, before kissing his shoulder. Dooku shivered, and Sev laughed before nibbling his shoulder, soothing with a few licks of his tongue, kissing again.  
  
Sev's tongue laved Dooku's chest hair, grooming the fur; soon his tongue was lashing a nipple, licking fast and hard, suckling, licking in slow circles around the aerole, then lapping the nipple some more, a little tug between his teeth, sucking hard. Then licking the nipple exquisitely slowly, each stroke of Sev's tongue making Dooku's cock throb, making him moan, arching to him.  
  
Sev spent a long, long time just making love to his nipples, licking and sucking one while his fingers teased the other, making them peak harder than they ever had before, aching, twinging, Dooku's cock twinging, desperate for relief.  
  
But Sev was nowhere near done. He licked the chest hair some more, then kissed and licked his way to Dooku's stomach, tracing the definition in Dooku's abs with his tongue, nibbling, kissing hard, sure to leave marks the next day. Sev nibbled on his navel, licked it, kissed and licked his way to Dooku's left hip. He kissed and nibbled that, too, and then covered Dooku's thigh with kisses, licking the thick dark hair covering it; when he licked Dooku behind the knee, Dooku cried out, almost coming again.  
  
Sev kissed his way back up, and across Dooku's stomach - teasing his stomach some more with his tongue - to the other hip, giving his right hip and thigh the same delicious torture. Dooku was trembling now, gasping for breath; knowing he was bound and Sev could do this for as long as he wanted - hours, even - made the teasing even better. He was letting go; he was losing control, surrendering, and it felt exhilarating. Intoxicating.  
  
True to his promise, Dooku soon found himself unable to even find words for how Sev was making him feel; Sev licked Dooku's cock very, very slowly, all over the head, then every part of his shaft, tracing veins with his tongue. He licked up and down, back and forth, until Dooku's cock was completely wet from his tongue... and all the precum sliding down now, not able to stop leaking. When Sev gave his balls the same treatment, just licking them, Dooku had another moment of almost coming, and he heard himself cry out "_Sev_..."  
  
Sev stopped what he was doing and picked up his head a little, his eyebrow raised. "Yes, my love?"  
  
Dooku just whimpered.  
  
Sev laughed and got back to work, tongue-bathing Dooku's balls; when he took them into his mouth, sucking, Dooku cried out, and Sev groaned in response. Dooku felt like he would be climbing the walls if he wasn't tied up, and he moaned again, sounding like an animal in heat, _feeling_ like an animal in heat, every nerve in his body screaming for release.  
  
Sev's tongue was on his cock again, licking and licking and licking, and then Sev was sucking him slowly, tormentingly slowly, and Dooku thrashed around, moaning, helpless in sensation and desire. He rolled his hips, slowly thrusting in Sev's mouth. Sev sucked a little harder, working his tongue with his mouth full, and Dooku moaned, "Sev, please..."  
  
"Mmmmmmmmmm." Sev stopped sucking and took some licks at the head of Dooku's cock, making a show of collecting the precum with his tongue. "Please what, love?"  
  
"I need you inside me."  
  
Sev took a minute, as if he was pondering that, and then his response was to push his tongue into Dooku's ass.  
  
Sev's tongue found the prostate right away, rubbing hard and fast; Dooku screamed as Sev's tongue gave him pleasure like never before. _Why did I wait so long to let him do this to me?_ Nothing had ever felt better, and as badly as Dooku needed to come, he never wanted Sev to stop licking him there, _right there_, that spot inside him suddenly the center of his entire universe, Sev's tongue like the Force itself, each stroke shaping his entire being. "Sev..." He was gasping for breath now. "Sev, please..."  
  
"Mmmmm?"  
  
"Please, Sev..."  
  
"Mmmmmmm."   
  
Sev's tongue slowed down, and it was torture, and it was wonderful. Each lash of Sev's tongue was breaking him, rebuilding him, the push and pull of the tides, the orbit of planets and moons, his heart hammering in his ears, shivering breath.  
  
"Sev... please... please, Sev..."  
  
"_Mmmmmmm._" Sev continued to lick him slowly, and when Sev's tongue sped up again, it brought him to that edge and kept him there. Dooku's balls tightened, tighter and tighter, precum dripping all the way down his shaft, over his balls. He was shaking, moaning, almost _sobbing_ with his need.  
  
He found his words. "Take me, Sev. _Fuck me._"  
  
Sev stopped licking, and when Dooku watched Sev move his head, he thought Sev was going to grant him his request right away. He should have known better, should have realized Sev was going to follow through on his promise to leave Dooku unable to even make simple words. Sev resumed licking his cock slowly, even more slowly than before; when Sev took just the head into his mouth, Sev slipped a finger inside him, rubbing the prostate again. The sensation of the head of his cock being sucked as that sweet spot was rubbed was so good it was almost too much; Dooku whimpered and writhed, thrusting into Sev's mouth again, fucking his finger.  
  
Soon Sev had two fingers inside him, and was licking his cock some more, and when Sev had three fingers inside him he was licking and sucking Dooku's balls. Dooku was trembling, even his thighs quivering, trying to form the words "please" and "fuck me", and only able to make inhuman noises. When Sev's tongue dipped back inside him for more slow licking at his prostate, Dooku heard himself whining, howling, feral in his need. And still Sev licked slowly, making sure he was completely ready. He was beyond ready.  
  
Dooku started to cry. Sev stopped licking him, and came up for air. "Are you OK?" he asked, concerned.  
  
Dooku nodded.  
  
"You're not... triggered or anything, are you?"  
  
Dooku shook his head. He pushed into Sev's mind with the Force, letting him feel that he was the very opposite of triggered - never before had he felt so completely loved, so taken care of. He wasn't just crying from the ache to feel Sev's cock inside him, the need to come, but he was crying at the wonder of surrendering so deeply, the past so far away now, nothing but love and passion and desire here in this room.  
  
Sev smiled and resumed licking his cock again, fingering his ass slowly. Dooku groaned, rolling his hips, gently fucking Sev's tongue and fingers. Sev sucked his cock a bit, and then with his mouth full of precum, he came up to kiss Dooku and used the Force to untie his wrists.  
  
Dooku wrapped his arms around Sev, and Sev held him tight, using the Force to pour lube over his cock and into Dooku's ass. Dooku gasped at the feeling, wondering if Sev's cum would feel like this, flowing into him. His cock throbbed at that, and he opened his legs wider, needing.  
  
Sev kissed him gently, and then, their eyes locked the entire time, Sev guided his cock to Dooku's opening and began to push in, slowly.  
  
There was that first shock of pain, being stretched, but no glimmer of the past, only Sev's beautiful green eyes. Sev took his hands; they breathed in the same rhythm, Sev pushing in as Dooku pushed out. Dooku relaxed and got adjusted to Sev - the pain was only an instant, and now there was just tight fullness. When Sev was all the way in, he squeezed Dooku's hands.  
  
"I love you," Sev husked.  
  
"I know." Dooku smiled, and kissed Sev hard.  
  
When Sev began to thrust, slowly, he also started kissing Dooku's neck. Dooku moaned, feeling like every cell in his body was deliciously sensitized, Sev's kisses on his neck making his cock throb, as Sev's cock rubbed inside him so sweetly, stroking his prostate again and again, the slow rubbing on his prostate the most wonderful feeling. Again, he marveled that he'd waited so long to let Sev do this; there was no pain, only pleasure.  
  
Only passion. Only peace.  
  
"You're mine," Sev whispered, kissing his neck, kissing down to his heart. "My own."  
  
"I love you so much." Dooku shuddered, overcome by emotion; the ecstasy of his heart just made the ecstasy of his body more intense. "So very much..."  
  
Sev kissed him again, deeply. He took Dooku's cock in his hand and stroked it, slowly, in time with his slow, gentle thrusts.  
  
Sev fucked him slowly, languidly, the two drifting in a haze of sensuality for a long time. Sev kept him on that edge, and Dooku felt it climbing higher and higher, dizzy with every sensation, more and more sensitive, the rubbing inside him more and more exquisite. Sev was gentle, not wanting to hurt him, but also kept it slow to tease, to savor the way Dooku surrendered more and more, completely lost in pleasure.  
  
But they both needed to come, and Dooku found himself urging Sev on, working his hips, kissing Sev hard. "Please... harder..."  
  
"Yeah?" Sev nibbled his lower lip, and started thrusting harder, faster.  
  
"Yes..." Dooku shuddered. "Fuck me..."  
  
Sev growled, nibbling Dooku's neck. Dooku cried out and bucked his hips even harder, and soon Sev was driving into him with abandon and Dooku matched his rhythm, giving back as good as he got. The sound of Sev's balls slapping his ass - the feeling of it - just intensified his lust. The thought of Sev's beautiful cock pumping in and out of him... the thought of Sev's cum inside him... he almost lost it, grabbing onto Sev's hips for dear life, begging "More, love... just like that... fuck me..."  
  
"Fuck." Sev shivered; Dooku could feel across their Force bond that Sev was holding back, wanting Dooku to come first.  
  
Sev's hand stroked Dooku's cock harder and faster; the stroking without and within built into a crescendo of sensation. Dooku couldn't stop moaning, and hearing Sev groan and grunt as he fucked, hearing the wet suctioning sound of their fuck, the slap of their flesh getting louder... it was too much. Dooku shivered, the tension winding and winding...  
  
"You're close, aren't you?" Sev rasped.  
  
Dooku nodded.  
  
"Mmmmmm." Sev's kisses trailed along his jaw, and down his neck. "I want to make you come for me. I want that gorgeous cock of yours to shoot all over me just before I come deep inside your hot ass... breed you, make you mine, the evidence of our fuck..."  
  
Sev's dirty talk sent him flying, screaming as he climaxed, spurting all over Sev, even hitting him in the face with his cum. Sev screamed too and Dooku felt him shoot, and the feeling of Sev's cum intensified his pleasure. It was almost too intense - he was contracting, and Sev groaned as he felt the contractions milking him; Dooku could feel it across their Force bond, milking his own cock. He couldn't stop coming. He started crying again, it was so good. So, so good...  
  
"Oh, love." Sev shuddered, spending again, and kissed Dooku's tears. Sev was crying now too. "Darling."  
  
"Sev." Dooku stroked Sev's face, and kissed him deep and hard.  
  
Sev collected his own cum and Dooku's cum on his fingers, stuck them in Dooku's mouth, and kissed him back, the two savoring their taste as they rocked together, throbbing and throbbing, then just melting, floating. There was only the Light, now, the two of them one with each other, one with the Force. They came back to each other's eyes, and laughed and cried together, kissing more, petting.  
  
"How was that?" Sev pulled out of him.  
  
Dooku smirked. "Do you even have to ask?"  
  
"I like to know you enjoyed yourself." Sev laughed at the cum leaking out of Dooku's ass, puddling on the sheets. "I sure as fuck did, _wow_ that's a lot of cum. _Fuck._"  
  
"I loved it." Dooku sighed deeply. "That was... beautiful. You're beautiful."  
  
"I'm glad you liked it, because I definitely want to do that to you again. I mean, we'll give your ass a rest first, I don't want to hurt you..."  
  
Dooku nodded. "I'd definitely like to do that with you again. And again. And again." Dooku smiled. "I never knew it could feel _that good._"  
  
"I like pleasing you," Sev said. With that, he put his head between Dooku's legs and began to eat the cum inside him; Sev's tongue on his sensitized prostate felt even more exquisite, and soon Dooku was fucking his mouth, and Sev was licking for all he was worth. Just from Sev's tongue, Dooku climaxed a second time, crying out Sev's name as he did, giving Sev a facial before his cum hit the ceiling, then the wall.  
  
Sev laughed, wiping cum from his face with his hand, before licking it off. He lapped the head of Dooku's cock, giving him many aftershocks, licking up all the cum he could, then licking his cock clean. He came up to kiss Dooku, and Dooku smiled when he felt Sev was rock-hard again, aroused from what he'd done.  
  
"My." Dooku took Sev's cock into his hand and stroked it slowly. "I see you enjoyed that as much as I did."  
  
"Mmmmm." Sev kissed him again. "You're so fucking hot, Yan." Sev nibbled on his neck.  
  
When Sev's tongue found its way to Dooku's nipple, Dooku found himself grabbing Sev by the curls and pulling them with a growl. He kissed Sev roughly, and then maneuvered Sev onto his hands and knees as he slid out from under Sev, to the side of him. Dooku used the Force to take the silk scarf and bind Sev's wrists in place, so he was face down, ass up. Dooku gave Sev's ass a playful smack, and Sev moaned.  
  
Dooku's cock was hard again at the sight of Sev in that position, hardening even more as Sev spread his legs, exposing his puckered hole, knowing what Dooku wanted, wanting it as bad as he did. Dooku groaned at the sight of it, and leaned in to taste it. It wasn't long before Sev's hips were bucking, Sev moaning "fuck me, fuck me" as Dooku's tongue lashed inside him, eating Sev like he was starving for it. Just before Sev could come that way, Dooku slowed down his tongue, teasing him. Sev howled into the pillows and Dooku laughed, licking even more slowly. He pulled his tongue out to lick around and around the rim of Sev's hole before pushing his tongue back inside.  
  
"Dammit Yan... fuck me..." Sev was shaking.  
  
"Mmmmmmmm." Dooku lazily stroked himself, wanting to give Sev a return for his teasing just awhile longer. "I'll think about it."  
  
"Fuck you."  
  
Dooku slapped Sev's ass, and Sev shivered, crying out. "Oh, fuck," Sev panted.   
  
Dooku slapped his ass again, and again. "Brat."  
  
Sev loved it, moaning with each slap. Dooku licked faster and harder, then slowed down again, and for even more teasing fun, took his tongue out of Sev's ass and licked the sensitive spot between his ass and balls, driving Sev even crazier, making him babble incoherently.  
  
Dooku licked inside Sev some more, occasionally slapping Sev's ass, smiling to himself at Sev's howls of pleasure. He could only resist so long, though, his own cock aching for release. When Sev began to beg, after letting him beg for a few minutes Dooku gave in, pouring lube into the crack of Sev's ass, watching it drip into Sev's ass as he lubed his own cock, almost bringing himself off at the touch of his hand. He knelt behind Sev, grabbed Sev's hips, and pushed inside.  
  
When he was all the way in Sev cried out, and when he began to thrust, he showed no mercy, slapping Sev's ass again as he took him hard and fast. "Yes yes yesyesyes," Sev moaned, rocking his hips back at Dooku, giving back as good as he got.  
  
Dooku groaned and shuddered; Sev felt so good wrapped around him, and now that he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end, it was even more rewarding to drive into Sev, pleasuring him. He reached and grabbed Sev's hair with one hand, slapping his ass with the other. "Teasing brat."  
  
"Oh, _fuck,_ yes." Sev was loving it, hips bucking wildly.  
  
Dooku fucked Sev as hard as he could, loving the sounds Sev made, the sound and feel of his balls slapping Sev's balls from behind, the sight of Sev's perfect bubble-shaped ass rocking against him, jiggling slightly with each thrust. He loved the feeling of losing control to Sev just as much as Sev was losing control to him, the two of them in high heat, mating, rutting, all animal fever and lust. He loved the feeling of conquest, domination, claiming Sev again and again, and the way Sev yielded to him, needing this as badly as he needed it.  
  
Again and again Dooku edged, so close to climax, but wanting to make this last, driving into the silken heat of his beloved, feeling Sev grip him, feeling across their Force bond what Sev was feeling, the rubbing inside him. Sev's entire body was shaking and Sev was screaming into the pillows now, desperate for release, but also holding back, completely under Dooku's control. When Dooku's own thighs quivered, his knees starting to buckle, he at last reached around and took Sev's cock into his hand. "Come for me," he growled.  
  
Sev shrieked at the top of his lungs - definitely everyone on their floor of the hotel would hear that. Dooku felt Sev's hot cum coating his hand, and then he felt Sev contracting around him, throbbing around him. With a deep grunt, Dooku spent inside him, collapsing on top of him, shaking, his toes curling with each pulse of his climax. "I love you," Dooku heard himself saying, his nose in Sev's curls, breathing in his scent like wildflowers, the waterfall of Sev's Force signature bathing him, a secret garden, paradise.  
  
"I love you." Sev sighed.  
  
Dooku used the Force to untie Sev's wrists, and Sev reached behind to take Dooku's hands in his.  
  
Dooku felt himself drifting off, and when he came back to himself his hands were still linked with Sev's, and he was still inside Sev, though soft now, aware of the mess he'd made with cum, leaking all over both of them. He squeezed Sev's hands and Sev squeezed back, and then he rolled off Sev and pulled him close, petting Sev's curls, nuzzling them, kissing the top of his head.  
  
"My darling." Dooku rocked Sev, holding him tighter.  
  
Sev picked his head up and nuzzled Dooku. "Thank you."  
  
"Thank _you._"  
  
"Did we succeed in making a good memory?"  
  
Dooku nodded, laughing. "This has been the best night of my life."  
  
Sev kissed the tip of his nose. "It will keep getting better."  
  
  
_  
  
Laying on his back, Obi breathed deep as Qui pushed into him slowly. Qui used all of the Living Force energy that he could muster to make this as pain-free for Obi as he possibly could, so there was no pain, only warmth and light. When Qui was all the way in, he rested on Obi's heart, feeling the pulse against him and wrapped around him, feeling more content than he'd ever felt in his life.  
  
Qui moved inside him slowly, as much to savor this experience as it was to go easy on his smaller bondmate. Obi had a look of wonder on his face, and it was beautiful, bringing tears to Qui's eyes. When Obi noticed the tears, he moved in closer to nuzzle him, and kissed the teardrops as they flowed.  
  
Qui wanted to tell Obi he loved him, but he couldn't find words - _I love you_ didn't feel like enough. As young as they were, it felt like they were two old souls finding their way back to each other, two halves of a greater whole. With each slow stroke inside him Qui reaffirmed that, the Force bond stronger than ever, feeling his own prostate rubbed as he moved inside Obi, feeling Obi's cock was being gripped and stroked by their Force connection, one flesh, not knowing where one ended and the other began.  
  
Obi rolled his hips against Qui's, moaning, louder when Qui bent his head to suck on a nipple; Qui groaned as he felt the teasing on his own nipple. Obi's fingers played down the length of Qui's spine, making him shiver, and Obi shivered in return, feeling it over his back.  
  
They kissed, and kept kissing as Qui moved inside him, Obi meeting his thrusts. Qui wanted this to last forever, melting with him, but after awhile the need was too great and he sped up. And then Obi sped up, bucking against him, fucking himself hard on Qui's cock. Qui fucked him harder, faster, stroking Obi's cock in time with his thrusts. When Qui's balls were slapping against Obi's ass, Obi's cock made a rattling sound in his hand, and the whine Obi made on top of the filthy sex noises almost sent Qui over the edge. He grit his teeth, holding back, his entire body shaking with need to come.  
  
Obi reached up to stroke Qui's face, and the love and trust shining in his eyes was his undoing. Qui kissed Obi roughly, and growled, "Come for me," before nipping Obi's lower lip, hard enough to draw blood.  
  
Obi shot over Qui's stomach and chest, screaming; three thrusts later Qui emptied deep inside him, groaning. Once again time seemed to stop, the two of them melting into each other, into the Force. The silken pulsing around Qui's cock, milking every last drop of cum out of him, was pure bliss, the coziest feeling, like being rocked in the cradle of the Force itself. Qui nuzzled Obi's chest hair, listening to his heart, two hearts beating as one.  
  
Obi held Qui tight, and Qui sighed. They lay like that for a long time, in perfect peace; finally Qui gave Obi a soft, sweet kiss.  
  
"Thank you," Qui said.  
  
Obi kissed him back. "I will cherish this, always." He stroked Qui's face. "I will cherish you, always."  
  
"Always." Qui kissed him harder. "And forever."  
  
Obi smirked. "That's what always means, Qui-Gon."  
  
Qui glared. "You know..."  
  
Obi's smirk became a teasing grin. "I know."  
  
Qui nipped Obi's neck. "Brat."  
  
Obi growled. "Don't start something you don't intend to finish."  
  
Qui sucked on Obi's neck where his teeth had been, and at Obi's cry, Qui began to thrust again. Gratified by Obi panting "yes, yes," beneath him, he lost himself in the rhythm of the heat once more. They had all night.  
  
They had the rest of their lives.


	13. Chapter 13

Not long after they'd first arrived on Serenno, Dooku had made an appointment with the Singer of Serenno, who performed weddings, funerals, adoptions, and baby-namings. Though Serenno was a secular world, there were nonetheless traditions upheld from the time when the Serenni lived as a separate ethnic group on Alderaan, continued from wherever they had come from originally - the Force was revered by the High Serennian name _Kalae_. Weddings, funerals, and the naming of children were considered the three most sacred events in a person's life; adoption was also considered sacred. Names, particularly, were considered to have power on Serenno - the Singer gave a name based on what he or she had seen in their Force signature, and unnaming someone, as Dooku's mother had done to him, was considered one of the worst criminal punishments that could be given.   
  
Due to the small population of Serenno, all of these events were fairly rare, and it was easy enough to get an appointment made with the Singer. The Singer had an office at the capitol building in Carannia, and Dooku's brother Yoren and cousin Andraste were already there when Dooku, Sev, Qui, and Obi showed up.  
  
Though many Serenni customs were particular to the Serenni, they had taken a few customs from the Alderaanians, one of them being the exchanging of wedding rings. Dooku and Sev had elected on simple white gold bands. They would not be able to wear them in plain sight at the Jedi Order, needing to keep them on chains around their necks, hidden under their robes.  
  
Sev had been given a primer about Serenni wedding customs before the ceremony, so he knew what he was getting into, and what to do at the ceremony. He and Dooku approached the small altar in the Singer's office, lighting incense as an offering to their respective ancestors, to bless the union. The altar was set with eleven Force crystals of different colors, and they began to glow when the Singer struck the altar with his staff, made from a fallen branch of the Great Tree of Serenno, the tallest redwood on the planet.  
  
Dooku took the ring on the chain meant for Sev and slipped it around his neck, and Sev took the ring on the chain meant for Dooku and slipped it around his neck. The Singer cut each of their fingers with an antler-handled knife, and they let their blood flow into a small bowl. They spoke the vows:  
  
_Seeker, Warden, Guide, Defender, Visionary, Builder, Preserver, look upon us. May the strength of your bonds be our strength. For on this day, for all days, I am my beloved's and he is mine. With this kiss, I pledge my love._  
  
Dooku and Sev took each other's hands and kissed deeply. As they did, the Singer took the bowl with their blood and let it drip into a chalice of Serennian wine. "In the sight of the Ancient Ones, in the sight of the _Kalae_, I pronounce you wed," the Singer said, handing them the chalice. Dooku and Sev drank first, and then the chalice was passed to the attendants, who each took a small sip. The chalice was given back to Dooku and Sev to finish, and after drinking, they kissed again.  
  
Qui and Obi stepped forward then. Dooku and Sev presented empty, upturned hands, and the Singer cut another finger. "We know you as our children," Dooku said, and Sev repeated, "We know you as our children."  
  
Dooku took Qui's hand and then Obi's, and Sev took Obi's hand and then Qui's, letting the blood flow onto their hands.  
  
The Singer then cut Qui and Obi's fingers. "I know you as my fathers," Qui said, and Obi repeated, "I know you as my fathers." Qui took Dooku's hand and then Sev's, and Obi took Sev's hand and then Dooku's, the blood flowing.  
  
Then each of the four let the blood drip from their fingers onto an unlit candle on the altar. The Singer lit the candle.  
  
"In fire and blood, I pronounce you fathers and sons," the Singer spoke. "Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are brought by the mighty ancestors into House Dooku, and House Dooku is greater for their presence in it. What the _Kalae_ has brought together, let no man put asunder."  
  
In a more traditional ceremony, there would have been a reception afterwards, with guests and feasting. In lieu of that, Dooku, Sev, Qui and Obi went out to breakfast, with Yoren and Andraste to meet them again at the funeral.  
  
At the funeral, Dooku put up his hood, and kept on the periphery of the funeral grounds - there were few enough guests, but he still didn't want to be noticed. His mind went elsewhere as the Singer spoke the words, remembering his mother's indifference and cruelty; at last he saw her body lowered onto a wicker mat, and the Singer began to light the mat on fire, chanting in High Serennian. As the wicker went up in flames and Dooku watched his mother's body burn, Sev took his hand.  
  
Dooku didn't need to stay for the whole thing - it would take at least two hours for her to be reduced to ash. Sev drove him back to the hotel in silence, and once they were in their suite, Dooku fell apart.  
  
Sev had been waiting for it. They sat on the bed, Sev rocking him, weeping with him, for the hurt little boy he'd been, the man who despite all of his accomplishments still carried deep wounds, the sting of rejection and betrayal.  
  
Sev started the hot tub, and they climbed in together. Sev kept holding him there, letting him cry, kissing his tears. After awhile the heat and water relaxed Dooku enough that the tears subsided, and he leaned on Sev, exhausted.  
  
"She can't hurt you anymore," Sev whispered, "and I will never let anyone hurt you again." He stroked Dooku's face, and rained kisses over him.  
  
Sev helped him out of the tub. They climbed onto the bed together, naked, but Dooku was feeling too drained from crying so much. Sev just held him, and enfolded in the safety and peace of Sev's arms, Dooku drifted off to sleep. Sev was still holding him when he woke up a few hours later.  
  
Sev ordered room service and put on pajamas to answer the door when it came; Dooku drew a sheet over himself for modesty's sake. They ate in bed together, feeding each other, and the sensual act of eating out of each other's hands put Dooku in a more amorous mood. Once again, he was interested in making a better set of memories about his homeworld, reclaiming himself, letting Sev's touch soothe his wounded places.  
  
Sev was still feeling tender and gentle, wanting to go easy on him after his catharsis. After a lot of kissing and petting, they lay with their heads between each other's legs, sucking each other's cocks. And then, Sev put his tongue in Dooku's opening, and Dooku moaned, loving it; he did the same to Sev, and they spent a long time tongue-fucking each other, edging again and again. When Dooku could hold back no longer, Sev took Dooku's cock back in his mouth just before he could come, so he came in Sev's mouth, Sev greedily swallowing his cum. Dooku wasn't fast enough to take Sev in his mouth before Sev exploded, and he got a face full of Sev's cum; when Sev came up he saw the mess and laughed, and started licking it from Dooku's forehead and cheeks and nose and whiskers, like a puppy. The playful innocence mixed with debauchery had quite the effect on Dooku and he found himself getting hard again. Sev reached down to play with Dooku's cock as he kissed him, the two of them moaning at the lingering taste of their flavors.  
  
"What would you like?" Sev purred.  
  
Dooku looked into Sev's eyes. "You."  
  
Sev laughed. "You'll have to be more specific than that."  
  
"I want everything." Dooku kissed Sev deeply.  
  
"Yes, but..." Sev kissed the tip of his nose. "Pick one. Decide."  
  
"This is hard."  
  
"It sure is." Sev's fingers brushed down the length of Dooku's shaft, before wrapping his hand around it again.  
  
Dooku gave Sev's ass a swat, and Sev moaned. He kissed Sev again, and then he husked, "Take me."  
  
He lay back. Sev took their lube and slicked his fingers, and slipped a finger inside him as they kissed. At two fingers, he licked and sucked Dooku's nipples, making Dooku arch to him, moaning, rolling his hips. At three fingers, his mouth was on Dooku's cock, lapping up the precum, sucking slowly, licking his cock and balls all over, Dooku writhing, panting, desperate with need.  
  
At last Sev deemed him ready, and took a few last licks at the head of his cock; with precum on his tongue he kissed Dooku, and Dooku gasped and shivered as he felt the head of Sev's cock rub against his opening. Sev began to tease him by putting in just the tip, and pulling out, rubbing around the rim of his hole, rubbing against the sensitive place between his balls and ass, then just the tip, and back out. Over and over again Sev did this, kissing his mouth, his neck, his nipples, until Dooku heard himself cry out, "Will you just fucking fuck me."  
  
Sev laughed, rubbing a nipple between his fingers in slow, lazy circles as he rubbed his tongue against Dooku's, before kissing him deeply. "So impatient."  
  
"Take me _now_," Dooku growled.  
  
Sev pushed into him all the way, and rested there for a moment, the two kissing some more. When Sev began to move his hips, thrusting slowly, Dooku groaned, loving the perfect fit of Sev inside him, hitting his prostate just right.  
  
"Good?" Sev asked.  
  
"Wonderful." Dooku kissed him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, my husband."  
  
The words _my husband_ ignited Dooku's passion even hotter, and he found himself pushing Sev onto his back, and doing what Sev had done countless times - riding. The heat in Sev's eyes as he watched Dooku riding his cock made Dooku lose himself even more, and when Sev ran his hands over Dooku's chest, Dooku fought back the urge to climax right then and there.  
  
"Oh, _fuck_ yeah." Sev rubbed Dooku's nipples, making him groan. "You are so fucking hot."  
  
"I want you," Dooku growled.  
  
Sev gripped Dooku's hips and matched his rhythm, driving into him harder. Dooku collected the precum dripping down his cock and stuck his fingers in Sev's mouth; watching those full lips wrap around his fingers, sucking them, drove Dooku out of his mind with lust. He pulled Sev into a semi-sitting position and leaned in to kiss him hard. Sev wrapped his arms around Dooku and kissed him back, and started kissing his neck, kissing down to his chest; when his lips latched onto one of Dooku's nipples, Dooku heard himself cry out, and grabbed Sev's curls, not able to help it.  
  
Sev licked and sucked Dooku's nipples until he felt himself getting close again and pushed Sev back, not wanting to come too soon. Riding Sev like this, Sev's cock was angled to rub his prostate even more deliciously than when he'd been on his back last night. And he loved giving Sev a show, watching Sev watch his cock gliding in and out of him, admiring his body. He loved the lust he felt from Sev, lust he felt in return, his hands roaming over Sev's pale, sculpted flesh. He was being taken and fucked, but he was still completely in control - of his own pleasure, and his mate's. The feeling of surrender last night had been exhilarating, something he definitely wanted to try again. But this, too, was exquisite, the sweet power of it, the _conquest._  
  
"You feel so fucking good to me," Sev groaned.  
  
"You feel... incredible." Dooku shuddered. "Perfection."  
  
"We were made for each other." Sev stroked his face.  
  
Dooku took Sev's hand and kissed it, and pressed it to his heart. When Sev's hand moved so his fingers could rub a nipple, Dooku moaned, and so did Sev.  
  
"So sexy," Sev husked. "My sexy, hot, beautiful husband."  
  
That word again - _husband_. Dooku loved it. He growled and rode Sev harder, and Sev slammed into him faster, balls slapping his ass. They were both so close now, but kept on that edge as long as they could, hitting that perfect note again and again, too delicious to stop, time seeming to stop for them, nothing else mattering but their hunger, their need, fucking hard, fucking all the pain away, only pleasure, only this act of love and trust and desire.  
  
Dooku took Sev's hands and came first, shooting over Sev's chest and stomach; he loved the sight of Sev's gorgeous body dripping with his cum. He was rewarded with the feeling of Sev coming inside him, the sounds Sev made as he climaxed, making Dooku shoot again, collapsing onto Sev with the power of his orgasm, trembling. Sev held him, continuing to spend inside him, also shaking, gasping for breath.  
  
They kissed as they came down, and nuzzled, breathing each other's breath, their hearts beating in the same rhythm. They rolled onto their sides and Sev slipped out of Dooku, chuckling at the mess of cum leaking out of his ass. "Wow," Sev said. "Just... wow."  
  
They snuggled, and after awhile started kissing again, and when the kissing got them both hard, Dooku grabbed the lube and slicked his own cock, kissing Sev as he worked his fingers inside him. When Sev was ready, Dooku rolled Sev onto his back and pushed inside. Sev sighed when Dooku was all the way in; Dooku smiled at the look of bliss on Sev's face.  
  
"I love feeling you inside me," Sev breathed.  
  
"I still love being inside you." Dooku kissed him deeply, and then whispered, "My husband."  
  
Sev's hips bucked at that - he loved those words just as much as Dooku did - and Dooku laughed softly as he continued to thrust slowly, wanting to savor, wanting to drive Sev crazy with sensation. He loved hearing Sev moan, feeling Sev's nails in his back, Sev's urgent kisses on his neck.  
  
But most of all, he loved the connection. Sev was holding him with all of himself, and this night more than any other, Dooku could feel his love, his acceptance. They had married in secret, but it was no less sacred for being secret.  
  
"I love you," Dooku told him between kisses. He looked into Sev's eyes and said, "I want you. I need you."  
  
"You have me." Sev kissed him back hard. "You will always have me, husband mine."  
  
The long, slow, sweet fucking built up to a shattering release, both of them sobbing with the intensity of it. Their climax seemed to spiral into the heart of the earth, and for a brief moment Dooku could feel the touch of the Living Force, their love, their ecstasy, feeding the root of every tree, every plant, leaves climbing to touch the sun.  
  
_Welcome home._  
  
As Dooku rested in Sev's arms, he thought to himself: _Should we not go back to the Jedi Order, where this is forbidden, where we have to live a lie? Should we just stay here? They don't know we're here. They wouldn't be able to come after us._  
  
There were still a few days left on the trip, and he couldn't make that decision right now. But Serenno was no longer just the place where he'd had a miserable childhood and had been rescued by the Jedi. In a way, he was, now, being rescued from the Jedi, and the way they'd taught him to bottle his feelings, keep him chained to the past in disallowing him the ability to make connections and attachments, the very thing he needed to heal. What good were the Jedi, claiming to be the arbiters of justice in the Galaxy, when they perpetuated such injustice among their own?  
  
Dooku peppered Sev's face with kisses. It was a lot to think about. He didn't want to think right now, just feel.  
  
  
_  
  
The ceremony with the Singer, with his staff made from a branch of the Great Tree of Serenno, had piqued Qui's curiosity. After doing some research he found the Great Tree was open to the public and though the forests of Serenno were considered varying degrees of unsafe to off-worlders and inexperienced citizens, the area the Great Tree was in, was generally considered safe. Reading between the lines, Qui had determined that the Great Tree was sentient, and had some control over its territory to keep it safe for visitation.  
  
Qui and Obi took a speeder out to the coordinates, parking in the designated area, hiking for a few kilometers. Qui gasped when it first came into view - almost two hundred meters tall and twenty meters around, in a forest of tall, thick redwoods it still stood out. Even more than the height and girth, it was the radiance Qui felt from the tree at a distance, that took his breath away.  
  
The Living Force was indeed very strong here, and stronger as they moved closer to the tree. The ground seemed to hum beneath their feet, and when they were just a few meters away from the tree it seemed like everything around them was glowing, the tree itself pulsing like it had a heartbeat. The ancient tree was covered in fungus that had crystallized - the Force crystals Qui recognized from the Singer's altar, in all the colors of the rainbow. Obi reached out to touch it, not able to help himself, and he gasped when he felt a poke at the base of his spine, like something was touching him back; Qui felt it across their Force bond.  
  
The energy was erotically charged to Qui, and he found himself disrobing right there. Nobody else was around. Obi laughed at him, and stopped laughing when Qui slammed him up against the tree. Collecting some sap dripping near them, Qui lathered his cock, and soon Obi's legs were wrapped around his waist and Qui was fucking him hard against the Great Tree, Obi's arms holding onto Qui's shoulders for dear life, the two of them kissing passionately with each thrust.  
  
"Does my brother like that?" Qui husked.  
  
Obi began riding Qui's cock even harder, loving the naughtiness of the words _my brother_. Qui nibbled Obi's neck and shoulder, and, coating his hand with sap once more, reached down to take Obi's cock into his hand, stroking it fast and furious, in time with his thrusts. The sap made Obi's cock more sensitive than usual - indeed, it was sensitizing his prostate, making Qui's rubbing inside him even more intense; Qui loved feeling the pleasure across their Force bond. And the sight of Obi's cock dripping with precum and the tree sap intensified Qui's lust, driving into him harder.   
  
Qui took more sap from the tree and rubbed it onto Obi's nipples, licking them off. "Delicious," he groaned.  
  
"Oh, brother..." Obi moaned, shivering. "Brother... don't stop..."  
  
Qui applied more sap to Obi's nipples, lapping hungrily, Obi whimpering and howling at the feel of Qui's tongue, as Qui's cock continued to rock against his exquisitely sensitized prostate. When Qui's nails dug into Obi's hips, Obi lost it, coming all over Qui's chest, hitting him in the face; Qui lapped at the next jet of cum like he was drinking from a fountain, and the feeling of Obi's hot cum running over his nipples as Obi contracted around him made him climax as well, shooting into Obi again and again. Obi almost fell over with the power of his orgasm, and Qui held him close, steadied him against the tree, kissing him gently as they trembled together. The Great Tree throbbed in time with their orgasm, and sap was now dripping onto Obi directly, as if the tree was coming with them.  
  
That gave Qui an idea - the nearest bough was just a few meters above them, wide enough to sit or kneel on, and Qui could see a gnarled terminus - too thick to be called a twig, really - protruding upwards, dripping with sap. Qui began to climb the tree, using the crystallized fungus as footholds.  
  
"Are you out of your mind?" Obi called up, though he was enjoying the view of Qui's shapely back and ass.  
  
"Yes," Qui replied, grinning.  
  
It took Obi a minute to register what Qui was doing, and then he followed him up the tree. Obi almost came at the sight of Qui sinking down onto the sap-coated branch-phallus; Qui closed his eyes and groaned with ecstasy at the feel of the gnarled, smooth, slick bark inside him, the feel of it throbbing within him, as if the Great Tree knew what he was doing and was enjoying it.  
  
Obi crawled across the branch to take Qui's cock into his mouth, not caring that it had just been in his ass; he moaned at the sweet taste of the sap Qui had used for lube. After a few minutes of Obi's hard, hungry sucking, Qui pulled his padawan braid, and their eyes locked. "I want to try something," Qui rasped.  
  
That something turned out to be Obi hanging upside down from Qui's shoulders, his ass in Qui's face, his face in Qui's lap; Qui ate Obi with ravenous hunger as Obi sucked his cock, and Qui played with Obi's cock, continuing to ride the branch. When Qui was riding as hard as he could, his tongue worked inside Obi like a hurricane; it didn't take long to feel Obi's hot cum spraying over his chest, hearing Obi scream around the cock in his mouth, and Qui cried out into Obi's ass as he came in Obi's mouth, coming harder when he felt the branch-phallus shooting sap inside him, the Great Tree throbbing again. He opened his eyes and it was as if the Great Tree was encased in a bubble of light; he felt as if he were made of liquid, that somehow he was floating, even though he was firmly on the branch.  
  
Obi climbed off Qui's shoulders and they just held each other. Obi could see the light too, and he reached out to touch it, marveling at holding sparkles in his hand for just a moment before they danced off back into the light.  
  
The light surrounding them got warmer, and Qui felt pure joy, feeling as if the Great Tree was nourishing all the life on Serenno, giving it energy, and something like love.  
  
And that Obi had shared this with him - Qui loved him now as he had never loved him before. His arms tightened around Obi and he heard himself say, "Marry me."  
  
"Here? Now?" Obi's eyebrows raised.  
  
"Not now. Later... in a few years, maybe. When we've had more time to grow up... more time to strengthen our Force bond even more." _In a place like this... it could be strengthened much more._ Qui wondered about that for a moment, and let the thought go.  
  
"All right." Obi kissed him. "In a few years." Obi kissed him again. "Here, on the tree."  
  
Even though Qui's heart and mind said yes, the _Yes_ he felt seemed to come from outside of him - as if the Great Tree were witnessing, and approving.  
  
When they climbed down from the Great Tree, they saw it was now surrounded by a ring of golden flowers that hadn't been there before. Qui knelt and kissed the ground in reverence, before putting his robes back on.  
  
Qui and Obi stayed for a few moments to admire the flowers, and the way the Force crystals on the Great Tree seemed to shine even more brightly. Then they took each other's hands and made their way back out of the forest, but the Living Force still hummed and glowed within them in the speeder, on the way to the hotel. Indeed, the glow was visible.  
  
"We're never going to be able to hide this from the Order if it doesn't go away," Obi said, staring at his hand.  
  
Qui simply smiled, and his thoughts returned to the possibility of a life without the Order... a life here on Serenno with his fathers, and his brother-husband. With the Great Tree, and the Living Force.


End file.
